by SAGE Green Group

The current lockdown across the UK—now extended until at least 7th May—is deemed vital by scientists for containing the spread of the coronavirus. This has seen huge areas of the country deserted even in densely populated urban areas. A welsh village has seen goats move from nearby hills into the town center and Transport for London data reveals the huge drop off in Londoners using its services. The Green Group at SAGE has gathered a bunch of facts that demonstrate the silver lining lockdown has had on the environment.

• Transport emissions account for 21% of the UK’s carbon footprint, and every day, employees spend 4.6 million hours commuting. One study found that 98% of a person’s carbon emissions incurred at work were down to their commute; what’s more, because of the rigidity of standard working hours, commuters are often stuck in traffic jams accounting for millions of tons of wasted greenhouse gases. Source: https://www.prca.org.uk/SustainableCommsIndustry.

• There are other environmental benefits to home working besides losing the polluting commute. When a person works from home, they’re much less likely to consume plastic-packaged convenience food and drink, and they’re free to make their working environment greener – by using energy-saving lightbulbs and recycled paper for example. They’ll also use half the energy running their home computer than similar equipment would eat up in the office. Source: https://www.prca.org.uk/SustainableCommsIndustry.

• By allowing employees to work remotely, employers can cut down on everything from printer paper to the use of plastic. During a workday, employees use a huge amount of physical resources. Remote workers typically create less waste during their workday preferring to use email and digital tools for messaging, taking notes and sending files. Having to bear the cost of office supplies usually translates to remote employees being more aware of waste and preferring digital solutions. Source: https://www.capital-ges.com/the-environmental-benefits-of-remote-working/.​​

• Air pollution has started to fall in many UK cities in response to the lockdown measures introduced as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Data collected by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science shows marked reductions in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and in particulate matter (PM2.5). Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52113695.

• Air traffic has taken a nosedive since the virus spread to Europe. Despite previous projections of growth, 67 million fewer passengers flew in the first three months of 2020 compared to the year before. Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/6-ways-coronavirus-is-changing-the-environment/.

• From February 3 to March 1, CO2 emissions were down by at least 25% because of the measures to contain the coronavirus, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an air pollution research organization.

As the world's biggest polluter, China contributes 30% of the world's CO2 emissions annually, so the impact of this kind of drop is huge, even over a short period. CREA estimates it is equivalent to 200 million tons of carbon dioxide -- more than half the entire annual emissions output of the UK. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/asia/china-pollution-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html.

• Data from the London Air Quality Network, run by King's College London, shows drops in both pollutants compared with average levels, particularly at roadsides. Monitoring shows levels of key pollutants nitrogen dioxide, which comes primarily from vehicle exhausts, and fine particles known as PM2.5, are low across London. Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/pollution-falling-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-a4396051.html

• A fall in oil and steel production, and a 70% reduction in domestic flights, contributed to the fall in emissions, according to the CREA. But the biggest driver was the sharp decline in China's coal usage. The country's major coal-fired power stations saw a 36% drop in consumption from February 3 to March 1 compared to the same period last year, according to CREA analysis of WIND data service statistics. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/asia/china-pollution-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html.

• As of 2 March, the number of people using the Tube dropped by 19% compared to the same week in 2019. Data also showed a 10% drop in London bus riders. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51910740.

• Both China and Northern Italy have also recorded significant falls in nitrogen dioxide, which is related to reduced car journeys and industrial activity.

• Traffic levels in New York City were estimated to be down 35% compared with a year ago. Emissions of carbon monoxide, mainly due to cars and trucks, have fallen by around 50% for a couple of days this week according to researchers at Columbia University. They have also found that there was a 5-10% drop in CO2 over New York and a solid drop in methane as well. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51944780.