Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the environment, with changes in human activity leading to temporary changes in air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and water quality. As the pandemic became a global health crisis in early 2020, various national responses including lockdowns and travel restrictions caused substantial disruption to society, travel, energy usage and economic activity, sometimes referred to as the "anthropause". As public health measures were lifted later in the pandemic, its impact has sometimes been discussed in terms of effects on implementing renewable energy transition and climate change mitigation.

With the onset of the pandemic, some positive effects on the environment as a result of human inactivity were observed. In 2020, carbon dioxide emissions fell by 6.4% or 2.3 billion tonnes globally.^[2] In April 2020, NO_x emissions fell by up to 30%.^[3] In China, lockdowns and other measures resulted in a 26% decrease in coal consumption, and a 50% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions.^[4] Greenhouse gas emissions rebounded later in the pandemic as many countries began lifting restrictions, with the direct impact of pandemic policies having a negligible long-term impact on climate change.^[2][5]

Some developed nations introduced so-called "green recovery" economic stimulus packages, aiming to boost economic growth while facilitating renewable energy transition. One of these investments was the European Union's seven-year €1 trillion budget proposal and €750 billion recovery plan, "Next Generation EU", which seeks to reserve 25% of EU spending for climate-friendly expenditure.^[6][7][8]

However, decreased human activity during the pandemic diverted attention from ongoing activities such as accelerated deforestation of the Amazon rainforest^[9][10] and increased poaching in parts of Africa.^[11][12] The hindrance of environmental policy efforts, combined with economic slowdown may have contributed to slowed investment in green energy technologies.^[13][14]

The pandemic also led to increased medical waste. Production and use of medical equipment such as personal protective equipment contributed to plastic waste.^[15] The medical response required a larger than normal number of masks, gloves, needles, syringes, and medications.^[4] During 2020, approximately 65 billion gloves and 129 billion face masks were used every month, and were disposed of.^[15] Enforced public use of PPE has posed challenges to conventional waste management.^[16] Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the treatment process of this plastic waste ranged from 14 to 33.5 tons of CO₂ per ton of mask, the largest share being from production and transport.^[17]