(CNN) — Global carbon emissions are expected to fall 6% this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said it’s "short-term" good news for the environment, but won’t be enough to get the world back on track to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement targets, according to a report from CNN.
"This crisis has had an impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases," Taalas said during a virtual press briefing. “We estimate that there is going to be a 6% drop in carbon emissions this year because of the lack of emissions from transportation and industry and energy production.”
The WMO says while the coronavirus pandemic may result in a temporary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it is not a substitute for sustained climate action.
"Whilst COVID-19 has caused a severe international health and economic crisis, failure to tackle climate change may threaten human well-being, ecosystems and economies for centuries,” Taalas added. "We need to flatten both the pandemic and climate change curves."
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