Thinking Ahead: How Can We Create a Just Recovery from Covid-19
By Annabel Rice, International Youth Climate Policy Intern
September 2020
While we cannot deny that the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a terrible toll on humankind, we have also been offered a glimpse of the environment that is possible if the world shifts away from a reliance on fossil fuel industries. Estimates vary of the long term impacts, Greenhouse Gases are likely to drop by up to 5% this year, close to the 7.5% yearly reduction in emission that is advised by scientists during the next decade. While nominally this sounds impressive, there is no cause for celebration. This reduction has only been made possible by an economic paralysis which came at the price of human well-being. This is not what it looks like to address the Climate Crisis and we can no longer view the separation of humans and nature as a viable long term solution. If we are to address the looming crisis we need a sustained and intentional reduction in Greenhouse Gases.
Hassan Yussuff, Canada’s Labour Congress President, eloquently said ”‘The choices we make now about how to recover from this pandemic will shape not only our health and economic future but also the future of human life on this planet”. We have been left at a unique juncture, on the one hand we could return to business as usual and continue to pump more and more fossil fuels into our atmosphere or we could choose a sustainable recovery. The pandemic has shown us that we have the ability to make profound shifts in how we live, work and interact with each other in times of need. The way in which we view both the world and each other has profoundly shifted and there has never been a better chance to make a greener world. The big question is whether we can capitalise on this moment.
The climate talks known as COP26 scheduled to be held in Glasgow this year have been postponed to November 2021. These talks are vital because, under the Paris Agreement of 2015, nations are obligated to present enhanced plans in 2020, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), detailing how they will reach the legally binding goal of no more than 2C and preferably no more than 1.5C temperature rises above pre-industrial levels. According to recent estimates, current commitments to curbing emissions leave us on track for up to 6C warming which would be catastrophic for both nature and people.
If we are to meet our goal the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated we must halve our emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Whilst few large economies have submitted an NDC yet, many that have can be heavily criticised for their lack of ambition. One such example is Japan who set out plans earlier this year. As the fifth largest emitter globally with per capita emissions close to those of the US, strong commitments from Japan are necessary if we are to reach Paris targets. Instead, Japans’ enhanced NDC merely reiterated their previous climate target of a 26% reduction in CO2 levels by 2030.
Here there is an opportunity to tie our post-covid recovery with the goals set out by the Paris Agreement. Whilst the immediate need is to continue funding our public health efforts, we must also begin to think about rebuilding our economies after the pandemic has passed. Clean renewable energy must be at the heart of this plan in order to bring us in line with our planetary boundaries. Indeed, many businesses and individuals are now calling upon their own governments to mobilise green action. Indeed, in a letter written by more than 200 UK top firms and investors, the UK government was called upon to deliver a Covid-19 recovery that prioritises the environment. Their letter says “Measures that cut greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the economy have the potential to be more effective in supporting jobs and economic growth.” In addition, a growing number of corporate leaders are calling for government stimulus packages to have green strings attached. Within the EU, 180 business leaders, policymakers and researchers explicitly urged the EU to build the recovery package around the Green Deal.
But it’s not all good news. For every corporate actor that has shown a commitment to greening the economy, there are many that haven’t adhered to these values. Some have used the crisis as an opportunity to roll back environmental commitments or push through controversial projects and laws. Plastic companies in the US have lobbied to reverse single-use plastic laws, while three states have criminalised environmental protest. In Europe, car manufacturers are pushing to loosen emission standards and airlines are lobbying to stop using 2020 as a baseline emissions year.
In addition, the pandemic has also exposed a variety of inequalities in our society. Those that are poor and vulnerable have been hit hardest by COVID-19. This same inequality is highlighted when we talk of efforts to combat climate change. Those that have contributed the most to atmospheric carbon levels, including the US, UK and Japan, will not be the countries that are hit hardest by the effects of climate change. When we talk about climate justice we must also talk of social justice as one cannot exist without the other. As climate negotiations are postponed or begin to move at a slower pace, it is up to us to keep up the momentum. Here the importance of civil society in influencing government decisions cannot be ignored. Civil society plays key roles in pushing for new laws, in holding governments accountable and in ensuring that policy does not forget or ignore the poor and vulnerable.
There is still time to align our climate and social goals with a COVID-19 recovery. The pandemic-induced financial decisions made over the next 12 months will shape the global economy for decades to come, just when we must halve our emissions by 2030. Let’s not go back to business as usual, we need to create a system that puts people and planet first.
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SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.icos-cp.eu/gcp-covid19&sa=D&ust=1593537187809000&usg=AFQjCNEM9A6Sh7GnLHTaX-OuYAJSyUCYZA Le Quéré et al, 2020
https://www.climate2020.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/054-056-C2020-Barbier.pdf Barbier, 2020
Annabel Rice, International Youth Climate Policy Intern; annabel@careaboutclimate.org
Cover Photo: Linh Doh