How did global carbon dioxide emissions decline only by 6.4% in 2020 despite major global lockdowns and travel restrictions? What would have to happen for them to drop by say 50%?

Question

Source for the 6.4% number: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00090-3

In: 5

Answer 1

Keep in mind also, in terms of energy costs, if 100 people go work in a building, you expend energy to heat / cool that building, have the lights on, etc., but that’s at least partially offset by people, not being home and not using as much energy at home. During Covid, people stayed home, used more energy at home, and a lot of those buildings*still* used energy to maintain a certain level of heat/cool. People using energy to cool/heat individual homes is not a particularly efficient use.