How the economy recovers from Covid-19 will have major implications on meeting net-zero carbon targets, according to an expert in the Energy Estuary.
A huge surge in carbon emissions in the months following the pandemic dampening has been forecast, as globally governments and businesses look to bounce back quickly.
Ahead of a major United Nations climate change conference due to take place in Glasgow in 2021, a network of more than 30 海角视频-based universities have laid out recommendations surrounding the economic recovery.
Professor Dan Parsons, director at the Energy & Environment Institute at the University of Hull - one of the institutions involved alongside academics from Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Manchester and Bristol - said: 鈥淭he focus of the 海角视频 is, quite rightly, currently on protecting vulnerable people from Covid-19 and saving lives.
鈥淗owever, there will come a time when attention will shift to recovering the economy and getting businesses and industry back up and running. This in itself is vital in allowing people to return to work and support their families.
鈥淲hen this time comes, the 海角视频 must lead by example in rebuilding a new economy, with a clear focus on net-zero and a low-carbon future.
鈥淲e have an opportunity now, as industry has slowed and carbon emissions have been significantly reduced, to map out our future 鈥 in doing so massively increasing our chances of becoming net-zero carbon by 2050.鈥
Stimulus to boost economic growth are anticipated.
The COP26 Universities Network aims to help deliver an ambitious outcome at the next meeting, hosted by the 海角视频 next year - having been postponed from November.
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It has proposed a string of measures it suggests should be at the centre of the 海角视频鈥檚 economic recovery.
It includes conditional bailouts for struggling firms, dependent on improvements in climate-based criteria. These would be targeted at fossil fuel-intensive sectors and companies.
Other recommendations include an incentive scheme for electric vehicle purchase, improved broadband connectivity across the 海角视频, and improving carbon standards for new-build homes.
Prof Parsons said that as host of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, once the 海角视频 has its own sustainable recovery plan in place, it could lead a global effort to rebuild the world鈥檚 economy with a low-carbon focus.
He told how the Covid-19 pandemic is predicted to lead to a 6 per cent reduction in global聽 CO2 emissions in 2020. This would be the largest ever annual fall.
However, to meet a trajectory for net-zero carbon by 2050, Prof Parsons said it needs to be over 7 per cent 鈥渆ach and every year between now and 2050鈥.
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He said: 鈥淭he unprecedented events we are seeing around the world with coronavirus must serve as a wake-up call for our global society.
鈥淲e have seen the water in Venice鈥檚 canals look clearer than in recent memory, and satellite measurements have shown air pollution levels over China and Italy and other areas significantly improve, as travel decreases and industry slows.
鈥淲ith some predictions indicating that carbon dioxide levels could increase rapidly after the virus has passed, as industry and economies looks to recover, attention must turn to how we make some of the temporary advances we are seeing over the past few months in reduced emissions, a permanent change in direction of increasing global emissions.鈥
