Coronavirus tipped to trigger record fall in global emissions

Global carbon emissions are tipped to fall 6 per cent this year, more than during any previous economic crisis or war, led by a plunge in fuel consumption as the coronavirus hits economic activity and travel.

Emissions from global aviation are estimated to fall
by up to 350 million tonnes by the end of the year.

But experts say that won't be enough to achieve the Paris Agreement's ambition of limiting global warming to as close to 1.5 degrees as possible.

Climate change publisher Carbon Brief expects reductions in factory output and travel as countries try to control the spread of coronavirus will cut 2 billion tonnes from worldwide emissions, which hit a record 36.8 billion tonnes last year.

"The coronavirus crisis could trigger the largest ever annual fall in CO2 emissions in 2020, more than during any previous economic crisis or period of war," Carbon Brief says.

Read the story from The Age by Mike Foley - “Coronavirus tipped to trigger record fall in global emissions.”

Carbon emissions from fossil fuels could fall by 2.5bn tonnes in 2020

Global carbon emissions from the fossil fuel industry could fall by a record 2.5bn tonnes this year, a reduction of 5%, as the coronavirus pandemic triggers the biggest drop in demand for fossil fuels on record.

Analysts expect a slump in heavy industry to drive
 demand for gas and coal down by about 2.3% each.

The unprecedented restrictions on travel, work and industry due to the coronavirus is expected to cut billions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic metres of gas and millions of tonnes of coal from the global energy system in 2020 alone, according to data commissioned by the Guardian.

Read the story from The Guardian by Jillian Ambrose - “Carbon emissions from fossil fuels could fall by 2.5bn tonnes in 2020.”

‘Environment is our economy': Tourism wakes up to a reef in peril

Take a journey out to the Great Barrier Reef these days and it's highly likely your tour will include stunningly iridescent corals and a wondrous assortment of fish, turtles and even the odd shark that you came to see.

The location of the Blue Planet II documentary is barely
recognisable after the 2016 mass bleaching event.

But such a trip would offer only part of the picture.

Travel even a couple of kilometres away, as this correspondent did recently, and it's just as likely the visitor will see a reef in ruins: plate corals matted in thick algae, brittle staghorn corals littering the seabed, and only the grazing fish - though still luminescent parrot fish and other species - nibbling at the greenery.

The latter site, on the Opal Reef off Port Douglas, would be distressing for viewers of David Attenborough's Blue Planet II - a location chosen by the BBC as among the best of the best.

Read the story by Peter Hannam from The Age - “‘Environment is our economy': Tourism wakes up to a reef in peril.”

Taking the carbon challenge

T

his is where we'll show you how! Our Carbon Challenge has more than 50 activities to cut pollution. They cover Energy, Food, Travel, Shopping, Money and Sharing.

We ask you to make a personal goal: to cut a minimum of 1 tonne of CO2 pollution from your daily life within a year.

Read the 1 Million Women story - “Do you want to live a pollution-free and low-carbon lifestyle? Then take our carbon challenge”.