COVID-19 Long Read: The UK and Climate Change
With fluctuating restrictions imposed in the United Kingdom, how are new lifestyle adaptations affecting climate change?
On June 27th 2019, the UK Government amended the Climate Change Act which aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within the UK economy by 2050. The UK government aim to secure global emissions reductions and reduce CO2 emissions.
It is evidently the vision of the British public to work towards a greener climate. In September 2019 the Global Week for Future, or Fridays for Future, were internationally participated in as climate change protesters demanded local and global changes.
The coronavirus pandemic has posed new problems that have challenged health, life, and our interests, shifting our focus away from climate change.
Since, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced local and international restrictions, which by force, created changes in everyday life. The response from the UK Government caused business closures, travel restrictions with work and school, where possible, to be attended from home. Thus, causing a sudden decline in economic activity which correlates to fossil fuel consumption.
While restrictions may have accelerated climate change targets, economic changes due to the pandemic cannot sustainably contribute to long-term climate goals.
A study by Nature Climate Change shows that reduced economic activity due to COVID-19 allows the cost of meeting these targets more “politically palatable."
Global emissions are expected to fall by a record 5-10%, with a potentially larger rate for the United Kingdom. The effects are temporary, with organisations reaching out to the UK government to acknowledge this temporary dip in carbon emissions.
According to the World Health Organisation: “Efforts to control COVID-19 transmission have reduced economic activity and led to temporary improvements in air quality in some areas".
Environmental improvements due to the COVID-19 response "may be reversed by a rapid expansion of polluting economic activities once the measures have ended" and we must therefore focus on "promoting equity and environmental health".
Short-term environmental benefits are faced with an unacceptable human and economic cost which are no substitute for planned and sustained action.
“The pandemic has rightly been a priority, but it’s vital that politicians and campaigners remain focused on the climate crisis” -Sam Nadel, Head of Policy and Advocacy for Oxfam
He continued: "While lockdowns around the world resulted in a small, temporary slowdown in carbon emissions and may have nudged some of us towards greener lifestyle choices, the scale of the challenge remains enormous, and millions of lives depend on it.”
The public has become self-aware about what they consume and how they travel, reflecting on social and environmental issues that rely on the Transport, Hospitality and Leisure Industry.
According to a poll from YouGov, 35% of the UK mentioned that environmental sustainability affects their decision to travel, an increase from 30% in 2019. COVID-19 has reflected on these statistics as consumers evaluate the safety issues against sustainability, which would mean weighing in between private vehicles or cycles in order to avoid public transport.
Transport emissions have hugely decreased. Transport emissions are one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in some areas of the UK. Hence, the reduced commuting due to local restrictions means CO2 emissions have seen a drop in addition to improvements in air quality within urban areas.
A portion of behavioural shifts produced by the pandemic that lowered emissions may remain, including working from home and video conferencing. In June 2020, the Office for National Statistics Opinions and Lifestyle Survey observed that 38% of all adults worked from home from 11th until 14th June. This is considerably higher than 5.1% in 2019.
Consumers are adopting various measures to adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle. Data from Deloitte indicates that one in five UK consumers are choosing low-carbon transport, decreasing meat consumption, or reducing the number of flights they take. A third of UK participants “value ethical practices in the products and services they buy”.
“Interestingly, we haven't seen a decrease in the interest on climate issues” says Aoife Hutton, Climate Change Officer for Keep Scotland Beautiful
In an interview with Aoife Hutton, she talked about Keep Scotland Beautiful and the “influx" of people increasingly interested in climate change campaigns.
She said: “Maybe initially we thought with the pandemic at the forefront of everyone's mind, the environment might drop off the radar, but we’ve seen the opposite effect there's been an increased awareness of connection to their environment.
"We launched a #LuckyToLiveHere hashtag around people sharing images from their daily exercise walks within the guidelines. We’ve changed our guidelines so that it's in keeping with the government restrictions."
The United Kingdom will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow from 1-12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will gather parties together to act towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The United Kingdom is committed to working in alliance and alongside civil societies, companies, and people to act against climate change and inspire climate action.
Aoife Hutton said: “COP26, the UN's climate change conference coming to Glasgow later this year and there's a growing awareness around what that might mean internationally."
She continued: “In terms of what people can do personally is think about the changes that they've maybe made in terms of consumption, maybe they've bought fewer things change some habits. People have had a bit more time to cook differently, to look at different local food and support local businesses.
“There will be some lasting positives in terms of behavioural changes that have come with this and also some calls for hope that we've seen around the response to COVID-19. If a response similar in scale or greater can also be achieved for climate change that would be a really positive matter for the future."
COVID-19 also created a new type of litter pollution. It is mandatory to wear a face mask in the UK in enclosed spaces including shops, taxis and public transport. With the use of disposable masks, gloves and hand sanitiser, a new type of litter is created through the improper disposal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Aoife Hutton, Climate Change Officer for Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We're seeing quite different types of litter than historically we saw including PPE litter: face masks and gloves. We’ve adjusted our messages to draw awareness to that new type of plastic litter that we’re seeing on the streets.”
The littering of face masks and plastic gloves is problematic for councils who are dealing with PPE discarded incorrectly. In addition to being potentially dangerous for pets and wildlife, it also carries the potential to spread infection.
Councillor David McDonald of Greater Pollock, Glasgow, said: “We live and ask people to take a bit more responsibility about issues around litter. I think people need to take a bit more responsibility so we can have a cleaner greener city.
“There’s a huge focus on environmental issues. We’re going to be hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference. I think that potentially can be used as an opportunity to remind people that we all have a responsibility when it comes to environmental issues.
"Whether that’s changing behaviours around carbon climate issues or how we can change our behaviour around litter and waste. Everyone has a responsibility. I think the city can do more but I think ultimately the people need to be at the forefront of the change.”
As the UK faces one of its greatest shocks economically, the pandemic has shifted the world in perspective and lifestyle and presents an opportunity to address the challenge of climate change. We can progress by taking this opportunity to work towards a low-carbon economy and improve our climate resilience.