Study: Lockdown effect on temperatures 'negligible'; green recovery could avert dangerous climate change

Recovery packages targeting low-carbon energy and energy efficiency and not giving bailouts for fossil fuels could “mean the difference between success and failure” on avoiding dangerous climate change.

Strong action to drive the recovery through green measures could lead to greenhouse gas emissions being 50% lower in 2030 than they would otherwise be, which would reduce expected warming by 0.3C by 2050.

The global lockdown will have a “negligible” impact on rising temperatures but a green recovery could avert dangerous climate change, a study has said.

Lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus caused huge falls in transport use, as well as reductions in industry and commercial operations, cutting the greenhouse gases and pollutants caused by vehicles and other activities.