大象传媒

COVID-19 lockdowns across the world have resulted in fossil carbon dioxide emissions declining by an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes in 2020 - a record drop according to Global Carbon Project researchers.

It's the equivalent of taking approximately 500 million cars off the roads each year.

So how do we make sure this isn't just a short term blip - but is instead built upon?

The chair of the Global Carbon Project is Professor Rob Jackson from Stanford University.

"Based on previous economic crises, we have seen emissions come back fairly quickly. We need to reduce emissions more sustainably than this year when economies and people are healthy - not because people are locked at home and out of work."

(Photo: A woman and her children in Beijing's empty streets in February. Credit: Getty Images)