In 2009, global carbon emissions fell to 31.5 gigatons from 32 gigatons, but as the global economy recovered, emissions jumped to 36.8 Gt in 2019, a record high. Coronavirus has dropped China emissions by a reported 25% but low oil and gas prices could reduce incentives to wean the big emitting countries off fossil fuels.
"A recession is likely to complicate the politics of environmental policy, as it will drop in priority relative to the economy," Ruben Lubowski, chief natural resource economist at the Environmental Defense Fund, a Washington, D.C. advocacy group, said.