Global CO2 emissions saw record drop during pandemic lockdown

Global CO2 emissions saw record drop during pandemic lockdown

Scientists have sought to reject claims that emissions reductions associated with the coronavirus are a silver lining. Carbon dioxide is a long-lived gas capable of staying in the atmosphere for up to a century, meaning a temporary drop in emissions is unlikely to change the world’s climate trajectory. “The magnitude of reductions has to be similar, but it has to persist over time, and it can’t be as disruptive as this has been,” said Steven Davis, an earth scientist at the University of California, Irvine, who did not participate in the study.