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Green or black? China urged to curb coal addiction and recover from coronavirus sustainably
- Carbon emissions were down a quarter during lockdown in February, but back at pre-pandemic levels by late March
- McKinsey report calls on China to ‘show leadership in a new, low-carbon economy’
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As China restarts its economy after the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, agencies and experts are calling for it to join other countries in taking the opportunity to build a sustainable, low-carbon future.
“In the post-coronavirus world, countries are going to grapple with restarting economies amidst a recession … The next 10 years are critical if the world is to meet its climate change commitments,” McKinsey, the American management consulting firm, said in a report published last Friday.
“Although this transition will be difficult, it also is a time for China to show leadership in a new, low-carbon economy,” it said.
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The pandemic has changed the ways people live, work and transport things. With reductions in fossil fuel use, it has also shown the possibility of a transition to low carbon use.
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Coronavirus: blue skies over Chinese cities as Covid-19 lockdown temporarily cuts air pollution
Coronavirus: blue skies over Chinese cities as Covid-19 lockdown temporarily cuts air pollution
Global energy demand this year is estimated to contract by 6 per cent – the largest ever reduction in absolute terms – because of pandemic control measures, according to a report in April by the International Energy Agency. Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were predicted to decline by 8 per cent in 2020, it said.
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