Analysis: Coronavirus temporarily reduced China’s C02 emissions by a quarter

As China emerges from one of the most serious epidemics of the century – even as much of the rest of the world remains in a coronavirus crisis – the country’s energy demand and emissions are beginning to return to normal.

Overall, the figures reinforce my estimate that China’s carbon emissions fell by around 25% over a four-week period, as outlined below, equivalent to around 200m tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2). Demand slowly returned to normal levels over an extended seven-week period, bringing the reduction so far to around 250MtCO2, with emissions some 18% lower than usual levels.

Continue reading the full analysis on Carbon Brief.