The unintended benefit of strict Covid-19 measures was the reduction in fossil fuel emissions – people weren't driving, air travel was almost non-existent.
But a new report from the Global Carbon Project reveals some of those gains have been lost – and fossil fuel emissions for 2022 are projected to be higher than before the pandemic.
In 2020 emissions dropped globally 5.4% from 2019 levels due to Covid-19 measures. They rebounded 5.1% in 2021, and this year are expected to increase 1% – led by the growth in oil, in part due to rebounding international air travel.
"The report shatters the hope that economic decisions around the Covid pandemic would turn us towards a brighter climate future," NIWA atmospheric scientist Hinrich Schaefer said.
"To avoid the worst of the climate crisis, we need continued reductions of emissions as large as those from the pandemic disruption every single year."
Fresh data shows some countries are worse than others, 1News' Logan Church reports. (Source: 1News)
Emissions didn't increase everywhere though - they decreased in China and the EU. Experts put that down to lingering lockdown measures and the war in Ukraine respectively.
Emissions from land-use changes, such as deforestation, have seen a small decline over recent decades.
The report also reveals that New Zealand hasn't seen that rapid rebound, although with the caveat that data was only available until March 2022 – before international travel here kicked off again.
"On a per capita basis for CO2 emissions, New Zealand is lower than many countries, mainly due to having 80% renewable electricity and also our present forest sinks contributing to having lower net emissions," emeritus professor of Sustainable Energy and Climate Mitigation at Massey University Ralph Sims said.
"However, this is no reason for Kiwis to become complacent and individuals and businesses have no choice but to reduce our carbon footprints."
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