What lies ahead for energy and carbon emissions post covid-19

Abstract

Energy supply and demand patterns changed as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic evolved and remained uncertain. The outbreak has been a one-of-a-kind situation unlike anything seen in the last one hundred years. As a result of various measures put in place by governments, travel was vastly reduced, and air travel diminished to near zero. Consumption and the price of fossil fuels decreased significantly and hundreds of millions of metric tons of CO2 emissions were prevented. The impact of Covid-19 on the worldwide energy industry and greenhouse gas emissions has been drastic but seemingly temporary. In 2020, wildfires in western United States more than made up for the reduction in global emissions in the first half of 2020 due to the pandemic. Renewable energy has made major advances recently, but fossil fuels still supply 84% of the global energy. Advancements in aircraft efficiency and extensive utilization of electric vehicles charged with renewable sources of electricity offer remarkable opportunities for improving our environment. Without major changes in the energy and transportation industries, greenhouse gas emissions are likely to return to their 2019 levels before long. © 2021, European Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, Environment and Power Quality (EA4EPQ). All rights reserved.