
Pollution reduces globally
In New York, early research into its lockdown measures shows carbon monoxide emissions down 50% on this time last year. As even tighter measures are imposed around the world– we should expect to see an even more dramatic fall in toxic emissions over the coming months.Changing our attitude towards emissions

What we could see as the COVID-19 curve flattens, is a steep rise in emissions that compromises any progress made during this isolation period, as industry looks to make up for lost time production time.
How to manage emissions post-lockdown
There needs to be a way to deliver business growth and ensure a return to social normality while continuing to achieve crucial environmental targets whilst maintaining global health. Technology is one answer as it can be used to help companies track their emissions levels and their sources, enabling them to take action on air quality.However, this is not a fight we can lead alone. The Government has called on manufacturers to turn their attention to producing ventilators and other equipment for frontline health workers – I would call on technology SMEs to help come up with additional environmental improvement solutions, so that we can flatten the inevitable emissions curve that will rise a few months down the line.This will both benefit the expected damage that will be caused by a spike in emissions once the lockdown is lifted, and will also provide tech-enabled SMEs, whose operations may be reduced over the next few months, with a new revenue stream. It may not seem the priority right now, but this pandemic does not change the fact that we are in an ongoing climate crisis, with just 10 years to keep the world from complete disaster.
The legacy of COVID-19
This has to be the lasting legacy of COVID-19: not a short-term improvement in air quality, but a long-term attitude shift in how we go about our lives once normality is restored. There needs to be a rebalancing where economic growth can occur, but in a way that helps the health of our environment and our respiratory systems. We have been forced to act in a more environmentally responsible way for now – we need to choose to do this moving forward, and it is SMEs with technologically-driven solutions that can help us to do so.Share this story