Carbon dioxide emissions have fallen dramatically since lockdowns were imposed around the world due to the coronavirus crisis, research has shown.

In early April, coronavirus lockdowns led to a 17 percent reduction worldwide in&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;pollution compared to the same period last year, according to the first peer-reviewed assessment of the pandemic's impact on CO2 emissions, published in Nature Climate Change.

The findings show the world has experienced the sharpest drop in carbon output since records began, with large sections of the global economy brought to a near standstill.

The comprehensive analysis was conducted by scientists from the University of East Anglia, Stanford University in the US, the Cicero Centre in Norway, as well as scientists in the Netherlands, Australia, France and Germany.

Four countries or blocs,&nbsp;China, the United States, the European Union and India, accounted for two-thirds of the downturn across the first four months of 2020, equivalent to more than one billion tonnes of CO2.

When the lockdown was at its most stringent, in some countries emissions fell by just over 26 per cent&nbsp;on average. In the UK, the decline was about 31 per cent, while in Australia emissions fell 28.3 per cent&nbsp;for a period during April.

Emissions from aviation showed a dramatic decline, of about 60 per cent, as international flights between many countries were grounded. Emissions from surface transport fell less sharply, by about 36 per cent. Power generation and industry accounted for about 86 per cent&nbsp;of the total decline in emissions.

Total emissions from industry and energy last year came to a record 37 billion tonnes.&nbsp;

"Population confinement has led to drastic changes in energy use and CO2 emissions," said lead author Corinne Le Quere, a professor at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia.

"These extreme decreases are likely to be temporary, however, as they do not reflect structural changes in the economic, transport or energy systems."

With nearly five million confirmed infections and 320,000 deaths, the COVID-19 pandemic has deflected attention from the climate crisis that dominated global concerns in 2019.

But the climate threat remains, other experts warn.

"This will make barely a dent in the ongoing build-up of&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;dioxide in the atmosphere," said Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research at Britain's Met Office Hadley Centre.

Carbon dioxide emissions have fallen dramatically since lockdowns were imposed around the world due to the coronavirus crisis, research has shown. In early April, coronavirus lockdowns led to a 17 percent reduction worldwide in carbon pollution compared to the same period last year, according to the first peer-reviewed assessment of the pandemic's impact on CO2 emissions, published in Nature Climate Change.

Carbon dioxide emissions have fallen dramatically since lockdowns were imposed around the world due to the coronavirus crisis, research has shown. In early April, coronavirus lockdowns led to a 17 percent reduction worldwide in carbon pollution compared to the same period last year, according to the first peer-reviewed assessment of the pandemic's impact on CO2 emissions, published in Nature Climate Change. The findings show the world has experienced the sharpest drop in carbon output since records began, with large sections of the global economy brought to a near standstill. The comprehensive analysis was conducted by scientists from the University of East Anglia, Stanford University in the US, the Cicero Centre in Norway, as well as scientists in the Netherlands, Australia, France and Germany. Four countries or blocs, China, the United States, the European Union and India, accounted for two-thirds of the downturn across the first four months of 2020, equivalent to more than one billion tonnes of CO2. When the lockdown was at its most stringent, in some countries emissions fell by just over 26 per cent on average. In the UK, the decline was about 31 per cent, while in Australia emissions fell 28.3 per cent for a period during April. Emissions from aviation showed a dramatic decline, of about 60 per cent, as international flights between many countries were grounded. Emissions from surface transport fell less sharply, by about 36 per cent. Power generation and industry accounted for about 86 per cent of the total decline in emissions. Total emissions from industry and energy last year came to a record 37 billion tonnes. "Population confinement has led to drastic changes in energy use and CO2 emissions," said lead author Corinne Le Quere, a professor at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia. "These extreme decreases are likely to be temporary, however, as they do not reflect structural changes in the economic, transport or energy systems." With nearly five million confirmed infections and 320,000 deaths, the COVID-19 pandemic has deflected attention from the climate crisis that dominated global concerns in 2019. But the climate threat remains, other experts warn. "This will make barely a dent in the ongoing build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research at Britain's Met Office Hadley Centre.

Lockdowns trigger 'substantial' downfall in global carbon emissions

Former US president Barack Obama launched a veiled barb at his successor Donald Trump on Friday, saying there is &quot;a pause in American leadership&quot; on climate change.

Since leaving office in January, Obama has been relatively restrained in his comments about Trump, who frequently fires broadsides at his predecessor&#39;s policies.

But he took aim at the Republican president in a New Delhi speech over Trump&#39;s threat to leave the 2015 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/world-leaders-react-to-trumps-paris-climate-accord-withdrawal-3600">Paris climate accord on slashing global carbon emissions</a>.

&quot;It is an agreement that -- even though we have a little bit of a pause in American leadership --&nbsp;is giving our children a fighting chance,&quot; Obama told a symposium organised by the Hindustan Times newspaper.&nbsp;

&quot;And the good news is that in the United States, there are states, companies and universities and cities that are continuing to work to make sure that America lives up to that agreements that we made in the Paris accords,&quot; he added.

Trump has threatened several times to withdraw from the Paris accord saying it is crippling US business. He has called for the agreement to be renegotiated.&nbsp;

Obama would not be drawn into other questions about the US administration during his appearance in New Delhi, but the former president did attack &quot;destructive populism from the left or the right&quot; that he called a threat to modern democracy.

&quot;The thing I love about America and I suspect the thing you love about India is just this cacophony of life and it throws up all kinds of variety,&quot; Obama said in response to one attempt to force a comment on Trump.

&quot;There are political trends in American that I don&#39;t agree with and abide by but I recognise as part of a running thread in American life.&quot;

The two-term leader said he has become &quot;obsessed&quot; with the way news is handled and consumed, particularly by the young.

&quot;We are more connected than ever before but ... more and more we are fitting facts to suit our opinions rather than formulating our opinions based on facts,&quot; said Obama, who was in China before visiting India, and next goes to Paris.

&quot;This poses a great danger because democracies can&#39;t function if we can&#39;t agree on a basic baseline of what is true and what is false.&quot;

'It is an agreement that -- even though we have a little bit of a pause in American leadership --?is giving our children a fighting chance,' Obama told a symposium organised by the Hindustan Times newspaper

Former US president Barack Obama launched a veiled barb at his successor Donald Trump on Friday, saying there is "a pause in American leadership" on climate change. Since leaving office in January, Obama has been relatively restrained in his comments about Trump, who frequently fires broadsides at his predecessor's policies. But he took aim at the Republican president in a New Delhi speech over Trump's threat to leave the 2015 Paris climate accord on slashing global carbon emissions. "It is an agreement that -- even though we have a little bit of a pause in American leadership -- is giving our children a fighting chance," Obama told a symposium organised by the Hindustan Times newspaper. "And the good news is that in the United States, there are states, companies and universities and cities that are continuing to work to make sure that America lives up to that agreements that we made in the Paris accords," he added. Trump has threatened several times to withdraw from the Paris accord saying it is crippling US business. He has called for the agreement to be renegotiated. Obama would not be drawn into other questions about the US administration during his appearance in New Delhi, but the former president did attack "destructive populism from the left or the right" that he called a threat to modern democracy. "The thing I love about America and I suspect the thing you love about India is just this cacophony of life and it throws up all kinds of variety," Obama said in response to one attempt to force a comment on Trump. "There are political trends in American that I don't agree with and abide by but I recognise as part of a running thread in American life." The two-term leader said he has become "obsessed" with the way news is handled and consumed, particularly by the young. "We are more connected than ever before but ... more and more we are fitting facts to suit our opinions rather than formulating our opinions based on facts," said Obama, who was in China before visiting India, and next goes to Paris. "This poses a great danger because democracies can't function if we can't agree on a basic baseline of what is true and what is false."

Obama digs at Trump over climate change

global-carbon-emissions

Global Carbon Emissions, News on Global Carbon Emissions, stories on Global Carbon Emissions, articles on Global Carbon Emissions, Global Carbon Emissions stories at Wion, Global Carbon Emissions news, Global Carbon Emissions latest news

global carbon-emissions

Lockdowns trigger 'substantial' downfall in global carbon emissions

Obama digs at Trump over climate change