Lila Sakata
- Jul 3, 2020
- 4 min read

The Effect of Covid-19 on our Environment

Since the UK went into lockdown to tackle the coronavirus health crisis like many other countries in the end of March, there have been notable behavioural changes in the public. The nationwide economic activity has dramatically slowed down as well—and this is having side effects on climate change and on our environment.

This article explores six ways Covid-19 is affecting climate and the environment in the scale of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the UK.

1. Reduced pollution levels

Since people are mostly staying at home following the instructions of Boris Johnson on March 23rd, the pollution usually caused by transportation has reduced dramatically in the last few months compared to the same period last year. A study produced in April for the Scottish Government shows that nitrogen oxide pollution levels measured in St John’s St, Edinburgh, were 78% lower compared to 2019. Nitrogen oxide is considered a good indicator of changes in local traffic. Similarly, a different source shows a drop in PM2.5 (a type of particulate matter that is small enough to penetrate in our lungs) in St Leonards in Edinburgh compared to 2019.

However, this effect is not going to be long-lasting and pollution levels will climb up to normal when industry and economic activity restarts, as they did in China when lockdown measures were lifted.

Worryingly, in a “business as usual” scenario, the concentration of these PM2.5 particles in Edinburgh can be high enough that active, asthmatic and most sensitive people should consider limiting their time outdoors. This was the case in April last year.

2. Reduced GHG emissions

A striking effect of the slowed-down economic activity worldwide is the reduced CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported a drop in energy demand globally of about 4%—and less energy demand means less energy produced, including fossil fuel-based energies! In fact, the IEA mentions that unlike fossil fuels, demand for renewables is increasing rather than decreasing. In Great Britain, this observation translated into an entire two-month period from start of April where no coal was burned to generate electricity and demand was wholly relying on renewable energies1.

In this sense, although the emissions will climb back up after confinement is lifted, the lockdown is helping enhance a trend that was already there: renewables in the UK have been representing a bigger and bigger share of the energy production these past few years.

But Covid-19 has many more impacts on the environment and climate change—and some might not be for the best.

3. Increase in Ocean Plastic Pollution

The use of disposable masks and gloves, as essential measures to protect ourselves and others from the virus, is causing a dramatic increase in waste that is ending up in the ocean. Many masks and gloves are being found on shorelines and beaches on the Mediterranean Sea because they might have been blown away by the wind from ships, but also due to people’s neglect when throwing them away.

Surgical masks are made of plastics such as polypropylene—this means that they are, along with gloves, a hazard to marine ecosystems and will still be around after several centuries. It is very likely that marine species are ingesting that plastic by mistaking it as food, and that they are put at risk of injury and/or death.

4. Edinburgh Waste Management Issues

The Edinburgh Council decided, in reaction to Covid-19, to pause some of their waste management and bin collection services—including recycling services. Though most of them have reopened progressively since the end of April, it has still brought some waste management issues in the city. A Coronavirus framework for decision making published by the Scottish Government highlighted concerns of increased amounts of waste in local waste areas. As a result, much of people’s recyclable waste had not been taken care of for more than a month.

5. Postponement of Climate Summit

The coronavirus crisis has forced a change of plans on everyone—including for the major events that were meant to happen in the next few months.

The UN Climate Summit, or COP26, is among them. It was due to be held in November 2020 in Glasgow but has been delayed to 2021 due to the health crisis.

The main aim of a COP (“Conference of the Parties”) is to bring together country representatives, organizations, experts, and individuals from ideally all UN countries. Their goal is to challenge policymakers and lobby to act on specific topics. The COP26 in Glasgow aims to remind countries to respect the pledges they have taken in the past on climate ambition and finance for the COP21 Paris Agreement and the COP15 Copenhagen talks. It also wants to discuss the implementation of a carbon market between countries.

Making sure that all country representatives can attend the summit, including those from countries most vulnerable to the virus, entails that the event needed to be postponed until further notice. Friends of the Earth Scotland, a climate activism non-profit, commented that this delay might “give governments a way out of facing their responsibilities” and of taking climate action.

In the end, most of the impacts of Covid-19 are limited in time. Pollution and emissions levels will climb back to normal when economic activity starts again; city waste is being properly managed by the council again; and although later than expected, major summits will still take place.

One undeniable lasting impact of the coronavirus, however, is the call for a greener and more sustainable reconstruction after this health crisis.

6. “Build Back Better” Movement

This is undeniably the most positive impact that Covid-19 is having on society and the environment. Environmental organizations (such as Friends of the Earth) across the UK are calling for further action on climate change solutions. So are University of Edinburgh societies.

The Scottish and UK governments also seem to want to make the country more sustainable after the coronavirus crisis. For instance, the Scottish Coronavirus framework for decision making has a chapter named “Renew—a fairer and more sustainable Scotland beyond Covid-19” and essentially lists different ways in which they could change their approaches to tackle inequalities and climate change. Boris Johnson has also mentioned in June that he plans on developing green technologies to act for a green recovery.

We might witness significant changes in environmental activism on the months to come!