Written by: Afshin Shakouri

COVID-19 causes biggest shock to global energy demand since World War II

In the last months, the coronavirus, COVID-19, push the world to lock down and make most of the businesses and organisations shut down. The governments’ urgent priority is to save peoples lives and launching on the impressive task of granting stimulus and recovery packages. In order to keep progressing in this period, the UN 2030 agenda and the Paris Agreement are great guidelines. These guidelines can secure the short term decisions towards COVID-19 are in the direction of climate objectives.

Based on the report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Since the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, the global energy faced the hugest collapse in the last seven decades. The recent reduction in demand reminds the 2008 financial crisis and the yearly drop in carbon emissions around 8% recorded.

References:

1. .  Murray, T. (2020). COVID-19 causes biggest shock to global energy demand since WWII. [online] euronews. Available at: https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/30/covid-19-causes-biggest-shock-to-global-energy-demand-since-world-war-ii [Accessed 15 May 2020].
2. .  Staying on Course: Renewable Energy in the Time of COVID-19. [online] Available at: https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2020/Apr/Staying-on-Course-Renewable-Energy-in-the-time-of-COVID19.
3. .  Kostisg (2020). Hydrogen Europe floats post COVID-19 green blueprint. [online] New Europe. Available at: https://www.neweurope.eu/article/hydrogen-europe-floats-post-covid-19-green-blueprint/ [Accessed 16 May 2020].
4. .  IEA, Reductions of electricity demand after implementing lockdown measures in selected countries, weather corrected, 0 to 40 days, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/reductions-of-electricity-demand-after-implementing-lockdown-measures-in-selected-countries-weather-corrected-0-to-40-days