Carbon emissions fell drastically during 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions forced many to stay home and cut back on highly polluting transportation methods. The closing of office buildings around the world also played a key role in reducing emissions. Still, as cases dropped around the world and countries began to reopen, data shows a rebounding uptick in carbon emissions at the end of 2020 – a trend that could continue as the vaccine makes reopening around the world easier.
, the last month of 2020 saw the first percentage increase in carbon emissions compared to 2019 with a 2.1 percent rise. Prior to December, carbon emissions had been steadily down from 2019 levels – in large part due to the pandemic – but had been creeping back up as global economies restarted and got a grip on the virus.
The enormous carbon emissions drop in March and April of last year was one of the largest recorded in recent history.
