Greenhouse emissions plunge to its lowest in US since World War II: Report

The United States witnessed a drop of 10.3% in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 due to the crippling effects of COVID-19 on its economy, according to a report released by the Rhodium Group. The report states that 2020 saw the single largest drop in annual emissions in the United States since World War II, outpacing the 2009 recession when GHG emissions plunged 6.3%. The greenhouse gas emissions in the US is 21% below 2005 levels, way ahead of its 17% reduction target agreed under the Copenhagen Accord. 

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The incoming Joe Biden administration has pledged to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement after taking over the White House. Under the Paris Accord, the US would require to fulfill its target of 26-28% GHG emissions reduction below 2005 levels. However, the target looks almost impossible to achieve with the US slowly moving towards normalization, conducting COVID-19 vaccination campaigns across the country in order to bring back the economy to its feet. Once the economy is brought back to the pre-COVID-19 level and herd immunity is achieved, things will get back to normal and emissions will pick up the pace again. 

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Effects of COVID-19 on US economy

The emissions reduction in 2020 did not come cheap as unemployment hit an all-time high of 14.7% in April at the peak of the lockdowns. The most hit sectors by lockdowns were transportation and power industry, leading sources of US GHG emissions. In October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted that the US GDP would decline by 4.3% in 2020, well beyond the contraction of 2.5% during the 2009 recession.

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The suffering that COVID-19 inflicted on humans is even greater than the economic damage as more than 3,50,000 people have lost their lives to date in the US alone, while over 20 million Americans were infected by the disease. Across the world, 91 million people have been infected by the virus, while 1.95 million have lost their lives, a tally way bigger than any pandemic has ever caused in recorded history.  

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