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Review
. 2021 Apr:26:770-781.
doi: 10.1016/j.spc.2020.12.029. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

Global economic crisis, energy use, CO2 emissions, and policy roadmap amid COVID-19

Most Asikha Aktar  1 , Md Mahmudul Alam  2 , Abul Quasem Al-Amin  3
Affiliations
Review

Global economic crisis, energy use, CO2 emissions, and policy roadmap amid COVID-19

Most Asikha Aktar et al. Sustain Prod Consum. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as one of the deadliest infectious diseases on the planet. Millions of people and businesses have been placed in lockdown where the main aim is to stop the spread of the virus. As an extreme phenomenon, the lockdown has triggered a global economic shock at an alarming pace, conveying sharp recessions for many countries. In the meantime, the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have drastically changed energy consumption patterns and reduced CO2 emissions throughout the world. Recent data released by the International Monetary Fund and International Energy Agency for 2020 further forecast that emissions will rebound in 2021. Still, the full impact of COVID-19 in terms of how long the crisis will be and how the consumption pattern of energy and the associated levels of CO2 emissions will be affected are unclear. This review aims to steer policymakers and governments of nations toward a better direction by providing a broad and convincing overview on the observed and likely impacts of the pandemic of COVID-19 on the world economy, world energy demand, and world energy-related CO2 emissions that may well emerge in the next few years. Indeed, given that immediate policy responses are required with equal urgency to address three things-pandemic, economic downturn, and climate crisis. This study outlines policy suggestions that can be used during these uncertain times as a guide.

Keywords: CO2 emissions; COVID-19; Climate change; Economic crisis; Energy use; Policy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image, graphical abstract
Graphical abstract
Fig 1
Fig. 1
World's top countries by number of highest cases
Fig 2
Fig. 2
Sectoral losses caused by the decline in consumer demand induced by COVID-19
Fig 3
Fig. 3
Electricity demand reductions after lockdown measures have been introduced in selected areas; weather corrected
Fig 4
Fig. 4
Projected percent change in worldwide demand for primary energy between 2019 and 2020, by energy source
Fig 5
Fig. 5
Changes of global energy-related CO2 emission (Gt) during different crises and the crisis aftermath period
Fig 6
Fig. 6
Nexus between pandemic-driven global economic crisis, energy use, and CO2 emissions
Fig 7
Fig. 7
Key policy suggestions for linking policy responses and low-carbon pathways
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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