2020 – Some positive news?
It is probably fair to say that 2020 has been a challenging year for people across the globe. However, it is possible to see some positives for the environment to help bring some hope for the future, so we thought we would finish up the year looking at some of these.
Lower Emissions
One effect of the global lockdown earlier this year was a dramatic drop in greenhouse gases and air pollutants. During the peak of the crisis in April, global daily emissions of CO2 fell by 17%, which according to researchers, was mainly due to declines in transport. Although these temporary declines will have little impact on global warming, the economic stimulus packages put in place post-COVID could well lead to a ‘green’ recovery with lasting effects.
Spain’s Energy Transition
As we highlighted in last month’s article, Spain has pledged to be one of the countries participating in a green recovery. The government announced that it plans to invest some of the funds it receives from the EU to aid economic recovery in initiatives aimed at lowering emissions and boosting the adoption of Renewable Energy. Spain’s energy companies are also committed to accelerating investments in Renewable Energy with Iberdrola, for example, launching a billion plus Euro investment plan in renewable energy over the next five years.
Miracle of Nature
Less human pressures on natural ecosystems and reduced human activity have enabled wildlife in some areas to thrive. A record number of an endangered turtle species has hatched in Mexico this year and the UK’s National Trust reported more sightings of raptors, warblers, badgers, otters and even orcas. Whilst we were locked indoors earlier this year, a wild boar visited the centre of Mazarrón town and foxes were regular visitors in Puerto de Mazarrón, as well as other towns and urbanizations. All over the globe, animals were able to take advantage of the drop in human activity.
USA
The President-Elect, Joe Biden, has pledged to re-join the Paris climate agreement which President Trump had pulled out of during his term. Mr Biden has ambitious plans to tackle climate change, including making US energy production carbon-free by 2035 and have the country achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century. According to scientists, reaching net zero emissions could have significant implications for achieving the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C limit. The investment Joe Biden wishes to make to drive down emissions will have the added benefit of creating jobs and getting people back to work. As the USA is such a large economy, growth there has a significant positive impact on the rest of the world.
If you would like to participate in the Green Recovery and reduce your energy bills, contact Free-Sol Solar at admin@free-sol.com or visit our webpage at www.free-sol.com