The impact of Covid-19 on everyday life is no secret – health organisations under immense pressure, and the impact on the economy devastating.
However, the knock-on effect that the global pandemic has had, and continues to have, on global emissions is something that has gone under the radar.
A statement from the International Energy Agency, indicates they expect to see global emissions fall by a record 8%. This correlates with a survey we recently ran, showing that over 73% of that representative sample have indicated that they are now more receptive to the idea:
Our survey was a representative sample of the UK, asking their view on whether they would be more prone to doing their bit in pushing for change on climate control. The result was overwhelmingly positive.
Lockdown measures are at the forefront of this prediction, as electricity demand has fallen by 20% in some areas – likely attributed to the lack of demand from businesses and manufacturers – both of which place heavy stress on the grid in peak operational times. Whilst it goes without saying that domestic usage has increased during lockdown – the former’s increase far outweighs the latter’s decrease.
The gas industry has seen a more moderate shift – around 2%. That said, global coal demand has dropped by around 8%, with oil demand following in close quarters. In fact, there was recently a situation in the US, whereby oil hit negative – suppliers were paying consumers to take it away, due to a lack of demand impacting the storage space available to them, for the commodity.
The forecast is such that oil demand could drop by around 9% on average across the year, with coal predicted to follow suit, to the tune of 8%.
Given the results of our survey, and the likelihood that people are now wanting to do more than ever to control climate change – the outlook is bright for the renewable energy sector. Utility Trade Group are advocates of going green, and we offer a host of renewable energy solutions to help both commercial and domestic users do their bit for the climate. Get in touch today to see how we can help.
