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How the coronavirus pandemic slashed carbon emissions — in five graphs

Near-real-time data on carbon emissions reveal the sectors, countries and events that had the most impact, but it is unclear how long the dip will last.
  1. Jeff Tollefson
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The international response to the coronavirus pandemic has so far slashed global carbon emissions by more than 8%, according to detailed estimates from a pair of independent research teams. That’s roughly three times the annual emissions of Italy. But energy consumption is already rebounding in China and elsewhere, and the pandemic could register as little more than a blip in the climate system as government-imposed lockdowns come to an end.

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Nature 582, 158-159 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01497-0

References

  1. Le Quéré, C. et al. Nature Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0797-x (2020).

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  2. Liu, Z. et al. Preprint at https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.13614 (2020).

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