The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the disease have provided some short-term positive impacts on Europe’s environment, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published.
COVID-19 impact
According to the EEA Briefing ‘
, the Coronavirus crisis further highlights the urgent need to address the environmental challenges Europe faces. This will benefit not only the environment, but also our society’s health and well-being. The briefing, compiled from initial research by external and EEA experts, gives a preliminary view of what the Coronavirus pandemic, and resulting government measures to fight it, have meant both for our environment directly, and for EU efforts to shift to a low-carbon future. It considers what we can learn from these effects, and how they might help shape decision-making in the future.Key findings
Key findings of the briefing reflect ongoing work to incorporate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic into the different areas of EEA work on the environment and European environmental policy.
- The COVID-19 pandemic further highlights the interrelations between our natural and societal systems: societal resilience depends on a resilient environmental support system.
- Biodiversity loss and intensive food systems make zoonotic diseases more likely.
- Often related to social inequalities, environmental factors such as air quality appear to influence COVID-19 outcomes.
- Increased reliance on single-use plastics and low oil prices resulting from lockdowns have negative consequences.
- Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic may have some direct, short-term, positive impacts on our environment, especially in terms of emissions and air quality, although these are likely to be temporary.
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