LETTER | Given that most nations, including Malaysia, are still struggling to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, our planet earth is gradually recovering unnoticed due to the halt in various economic activities.

Continuing to lament over this unprecedented global crisis, the world is now surviving peacefully without threats as we are required to stay at home and “do nothing” during the movement control order (MCO) which will enter its fourth phase this Wednesday (April 29).

This art of “doing nothing” may appear unbearable to us, but not so for the earth because it is experiencing a recovery process right now, as we do nothing.

The data from the Sentinel-5P satellite reveals that air pollution levels of nitrogen dioxide have decreased in Europe since the pandemic, while in Paris, the country has significant changes in air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions with 20 to 30 per cent cleaner air in the first days of national confinement.

As in Malaysia too while the MCO is still in progress, the number of metrology stations that reported "strong" air quality readings doubled from 28 to 57 percent.

Others claim that Covid-19 is a sign from God to step back and reflect about what we have done, what the consequences of our past misdeeds have been, and it is also clear that this catastrophe has made us realise that the universe is only temporary and that we have to be responsible for all the damages that have happened.

It is in this sense that while some disasters, like hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, tend to bring out the best in people by pulling folks together, pandemics tend to do the opposite.

It would seem the virus is holding up a mirror in front of us, forcing us to become aware of our own behaviour and its impact on the collective, that is, on our system as a whole. That mirror gently invites us to make a few personal sacrifices that benefit the whole – to shift our inner place from ego to eco.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Malaysia also offer us three meaningful lessons from this current situation which are flattening the climate curve, an opportunity for behavioural change and staying within planetary boundaries.

Long before Covid-19, the world has been facing the challenge of flattening the greenhouse gas emissions curve. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the world’s leading body of climate experts – has warned that we have only 10 years left to keep global temperature rise to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celcius, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risk of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

At our current rate, global temperatures are on course to reach a temperature rise of at least three degrees Celcius by the end of the century, signalling an irreversible environmental catastrophe.

To keep global temperature increases to less than two degrees Celsius in this century, we must reduce carbon emissions as the world gets warmer by 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade.

As climate change is the greatest challenge we have ever faced, this moment should be embraced as a great opportunity to reinvent our society and economy as we want it, given the environmental effects of our current system.

Thus, the related authorities should take advantage of this to think and plan for a better system to protect the earth without jeopardising some economic activities.

The negative sides may be the rise in job losses, a drastic decrease in economic activity and the downfall of businesses, but that would make us aware that various economic practices were damaging our environment without considering it for the sake of wealth and power.

The Oslo Centre for International Climate and Environment Research has indicated that global emissions will begin to drop by 0.3 percent overall in 2020. This calls for economic stimulus measures that are centred on sectors with less impact on the climate.

As pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen across the continents by lockdowns and restrictions to curb the Covid-19 spread, scientists have also projected that the carbon production will fall by about five percent in 2020.

But the reduction in emissions may be short-lived and would have a tiny effect on ambient carbon dioxide concentration levels without any structural changes.

Subsequently, emissions are likely to rebound as the economy recovers and the world should adopt more renewable energy, boost efficiency standards and step away from coal-based energy to encourage positive environmental impacts.

According to the International Energy Agency, to reach a carbon-neutral energy scenario, renewable energy should account for two-thirds of worldwide electricity supply by 2040.

Hence, the lessons learned once this pandemic is behind us will be very useful in rethinking the issue of various pollutions such as air pollution.

Perhaps one takeaway from this global lockdown is the need for a global shutdown of mammoth industrial complexes for one week annually as we celebrate Earth Day to give our earth a breather from greenhouse gas emissions. This one-week shutdown can also be used for repair and maintenance works.

More aggressive policies on climate change are needed by channelling substantial resources and reallocation of investments into energy conservation and renewable energy, as well as a rigorous strategy to remove half of global coal-fired power plant capacity.

It’s safe to say that no one would have wanted for emissions to be reduced this way via a Covid-19 pandemic which has taken on a bleak global toll on life, economy, education and mental health services.

And it is also expected that the economic stimulus measures will be leveraged to provide investment opportunities both in the emissions-reducing infrastructure and in renewable technologies.

Last but not least, this global crisis can have a huge effect on the climate, but it is important to note that not only will the government be taking the lead in protecting the environment, but all of us should offer our full cooperation towards this objective.

The writer is a Research Assistant at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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