Climate change and the pandemic

Published: April 17, 2020, 7:50 a.m.

In many cities, pollution has reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, but what will happen to the environment when economies get going again? The year after the financial crisis, global carbon dioxide emissions jumped by nearly 6% as nations put in place stimulus packages driven by cheap fuel and energy-intensive sectors like construction. There are also fears companies which had planned to invest in clean energy could put those plans on hold as market conditions change. Vera Mantengoli of the newspaper La Nuova Venezia tells us how nature has begun to reclaim its place along Venice's famous canals. We also hear from Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Lucy Siegle, an environmental writer and journalist says that although the UN's climate change conference has been postponed to 2021, we can't lose sight of the urgency for action on climate. And we hear from the International Energy Agency's group executive director, Dr Fatih Birol. Picture: Clear waters in Venice's Grand Canal, where boat traffic has stopped during the city's lockdown to stop the spread of Covid19. Credit Getty Images