Coronavirus could lead to biggest fall in carbon emissions since World War II

According to scientists, carbon dioxide emissions could fall by the largest amount since World War II. Global Carbon Project, which produces widely-watched annual emissions estimates, said that the output in carbon dioxide could fall by 5 percent this year, compared to the 1.4% dip at the time of the 2008 financial crisis. According to reports, Rob Jackson, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford University in California, who also chairs the Global Carbon Project, said he wouldn't be surprised to see the fall by 5% this year due to coronavirus lockdown. 

Read: Coronavirus Survivors Donate Blood Plasma To Help Sick People Fight The Pandemic

The improvements in the carbon emission rates are connected to the coronavirus lockdown, which has seen countries shutting down factories, businesses, travel in order to block the spread of the deadly disease. The emission rates are expected to go back to where they were as soon as the lockdown ends because there are structural changes in climate change laws. The emission rates fell during the 2008 crisis but they shot back by 5.1% after the recovery, so the current rates are also likely to rise following a similar pattern, said Corinne Le Quéré, a climate scientist at the University of East Anglia in eastern England.

Read: Corona Beer Suspends Operations In Mexico After New Govt Orders Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 has claimed more than 54,200 lives across the world and has infected over 10,30,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last month before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The United States and France have also surpassed China in terms of the number of deaths recorded in these countries. Iran and the United Kingdom are also on the verge of overtaking China in terms of deaths recorded. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

Read: UN Approves First Coronavirus Resolution As Global Infections Surpass 1 Million

Read: COVID-19: Telangana Minister Lauds 'small Farmer With Big Heart' For Donating Rs 50,000

(Image Credit: AP)