EXCHANGE Volume 01, No. 1, 2023, pp. 55-62

Heng DU

A Study on the Current Development of Carbon Neutrality and the Impact of the Epidemic on Carbon Emissions

Abstract: As global industrialization continues to grow and the exploitation of fossil fuels continues, climate warming is becoming more and more serious and poses more and more problems. Carbon neutrality has become an important strategy for global climate governance. Currently, some countries and regions around the world have adopted climate change-related legislation to provide legal safeguards for achieving the “two-carbon” goal. However, some countries have adopted a conservative attitude towards the carbon neutrality target. This paper summarizes decarbonization technologies and initiatives, such as switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy and developing low-carbon technologies, in the context of the relevant documents published to date. However, the impact of the sudden epidemic on global environmental pollution since 2019 requires us to rethink carbon neutrality in this context. COVID-19 has both positive and negative impacts on global pollution and carbon neutrality. Under the epidemic, carbon emissions have been reduced due to the closure policy, which is beneficial for air governance. At the same time, the heavy use of masks and the packaging waste generated caused soil deterioration. We need to pay special attention to the possibility of an acute rebound of carbon emissions after the epidemic. Countries need to develop relevant strategies to control pollution and achieve sustainable development of environmental governance to improve environmental quality and human health.

Keywords: Carbon neutral; national policies; governance strategy; COVID-19.