It's after any recession that the real problems can start for climate advocates. Helen Mountford of the World Resources Institute said that post-recession economies can see a surge in emissions: "After the global financial crisis of 2008, for example, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production grew 5.9 percent in 2010, more than offsetting the 1.4 percent decrease in 2009." This time, she hopes "low-carbon and resilient infrastructure" would be a priority in any stimulus package to avoid an uptick in emissions as economies recover.

Here are factors that could help and hurt the climate, in both the short and longer terms:

FIVE WAYS CORONA HELPS THE ENVIRONMENT:

Industry shut-downs reduce emissions: A study by specialist outlet Carbon Brief found that in China, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by around 25 percent, and declining oil demand should push emissions down globally. Airlines are also cutting flights. Beware: If passengers are flying on half-empty planes, fewer flyers does not equal fewer emissions.

Minds may open for structural change: The focus is on health and supply chains right now. But the process of challenging assumptions and fundamentally altering behavior - illustrated by remote work - can be seized on by climate action advocates once the worst of this health crisis is over.

Public financial institutions will push green stimulus: Green investment is a pet interest of Kristalina Georgieva (International Monetary Fund head) and Christine Lagarde (European Central Bank president), while the European Investment Bank is already getting out of coal. Look for regional and global bodies to push green investment incentives.

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FOUR WAYS CORONA WILL HURT THE ENVIRONMENT:

Political and financial capital will be diverted:Governments will be forced to prioritize public health andstruggling banks may change lending criteria, and use the crisis to revise their green targets.

Mountains of waste: Coffee chain Starbucks to stop accepting reusable cups from its customers - now it's only serving drinks in disposable single-use cups that are recyclable. China is drowning under medical waste (often single-use items by necessity) produced by hospitals. In the city of Wuhan, it's quadrupled to more than 200 tons a day.

Low profits reduce what a company can invest in risky and long-term bets. Regulation could force a shift to clean energy, but that's unlikely in the United States and China in a year when the industry is suffering financial losses.

In Brussels, the European Parliament chose to delay a climate law debate. The European Commission (the EU's executive) pushed ahead to launch a green industrial strategy, including support for hydrogen technologies. That's potentially big news for Alstom's hydrogen trains, and Germany didn't waste anytime announcing its own supplementary strategy to become the world's "leading provider of CO2-free hydrogen technologies."

The circular economy comes with a series of 35 legislative measures that will be spelled out between 2020 and 2023: here's POLITICO's 5 takeaways. An EU-mandated technical expert group its final on which 70 activities should count as sustainable investment activities.

GLOBAL GREEN GLANCES

Abu Dhabi leads Middle East green charge: Abu Dhabi is planning to be free of single-use plastic bags by 2021, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi announced. Residents currently use an average of 1,184 plastic bags per person, per year, compared to a global average of 307.

Weakened Amazon rainforest facing collapse within 50 years What if products and services came with carbon warning labels? A meat-lover's guide to eating less meat.
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