AS a species, we have always struggled to find the correct balance between living harmoniously on this planet and causing irrevocable damage to this space we all call home. It is no secret that humanity has made a lasting impression on the face of Mother Earth, but it would now appear that due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Great Mother is showing signs of recovery.

The imposition of extensive travel restrictions in many nations throughout the globe has resulted in notable decreases in key greenhouse-gas emissions. By now, most readers would have seen the viral NASA images capturing the dramatic decline of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere above China. The first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and, since then, most cities in the country have gone into quarantine in order to stop the spread of the virus. The resultant environmental impact has been astounding, with China recording a 25% decrease in emissions as compared to the same time last year. Following the same pattern, China has had an 11.4% increase in days, with “good quality air”, a key metric for measuring the air quality which is notoriously poor in most industrial Chinese cities.

Whilst China is the leading contributor of global greenhouse-gas emissions, the United States of America and India are the two second largest contributors to global greenhouse-gas emissions. As a result of COVID-19, both nations have also shown similar patterns in the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions at this time. In New York City alone, the levels of pollution have declined by almost 50% because of the global slowdown and the measures that have been implemented in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. Similarly, in Italy, where the most extensive travel restrictions since World War II have been imposed, there has been a dramatic decline in nitrogen dioxide emissions. There is also a similar situation occurring in Spain.

The environmental impact of COVID-19 is also similar to what we experienced during the 2008/9 global financial crash and recession. At that time, greenhouse-gas emissions fell as the industrial sector endured an extended downturn. Cumulatively, there was a 1.3% decrease in global greenhouse-gas emissions for that period. Once the sector recovered, however, emissions quickly surpassed previous years, and culminated in an all- time high by 2010, with emissions growing by 5.9% that year.

Whilst the international community has claimed that global climate change is the single most important factor influencing our ability to maintain life on this planet, nations have been slow to act. The Paris Agreement was negotiated by 196 nation states, and was introduced to govern emissions reduction from 2020 onwards. As of February this year, 189 nation states have become party to the Agreement, which requires each member state to determine, plan, and regularly report on the contribution that it undertakes to mitigate global warming. Nonetheless, the Agreement lacks any serious enforcement obligations, and only requires nation states to set specific emissions targets within a specified time, and in keeping with the overall obligation to keep emissions below the 1.5 degree Celsius mark. Notably, Iran and Turkey are not parties to the Agreement, and President Trump has promised that the United States of America would not be participating in it, which is regrettable, as the USA is one of the leading contributors to global greenhouse-gas emissions.

Though the environment is now recovering, the extent to which it will be able to recover is closely tied to our ability, as a species, to overcome COVID-19. Once the pandemic has peaked, and governments are able to assert better control over the spread of the virus, ports, businesses, cities and nations will once again open up for business. It is hoped that governments, being cognizant of the environmental impact and the potential benefits of alternative working and industrial practices, could be more readily encouraged to tackle the climate change agenda.

In Guyana, we have been rather fortuitous, in that COVID-19 has not attacked our population in any significant way, quite possibly because of the decision to close all major ports of entry into and out of the country. We have seen that those who have recently travelled are at a higher risk of contracting the disease, and of spreading it thereafter. Nonetheless, the measures that have been put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19 seem to be working, but there are calls for stricter measures, including a total lockdown, to be implemented here in Guyana.