COVID-19 x Climate Change: Stormy Headlines

Climate change action dominated the media conversation for much of 2019 and there were concerns that the urgency of COVID-19 may derail climate change momentum as countries went into lockdown. However, the noticeable drop in air pollution and global carbon emissions – due to grounded flights, a reduction in road transport and closures of manufacturing sites – and the linking of air pollution and COVID-19 risk, escalated a need for long-term climate change response to lock in temporary air quality improvements.

As lockdown continued, the media conversation shifted to identifying ways in which governmental and public reactions to the pandemic could be strategically helpful to tackling climate change. For example, the need to make lifestyle changes to stop the pandemic may have helped galvanise people around climate action: nearly 80 percent of people across the UK and USA would be ‘willing to make lifestyle changes to stop climate change as big as those they’ve made for coronavirus’. The impact on the long-term demand and consumption of built environment assets – especially in central locations – may be substantial. It is likely the critical conversation will move beyond disposable straws and cups, and new airports, with the sustainability performance of buildings and infrastructure becoming equally important to occupiers and consumers.

Parallels were quickly drawn between the two crises as momentum moved towards recovery preparation. Amongst calls for a green recovery, UK national papers have focused on consumer support. There are concerns, however, that stalled COP26 talks may limit the advancement of green energy sources as governments seek energy security by maintaining fossil fuel industries. There is an emerging acceptance that recovery will be coupled with climate action. A YouGov poll indicates that only nine percent of Britons want life to ‘return to normal’ post-pandemic, with wanting cleaner air and an increase in wildlife both highlighted. Many national papers are casting recovery as an opportunity to re form climate change policies before it is too late. However, world leaders are facing tension between going “too far” in lockdown measures and the gaps in climate resilience the pandemic has highlighted, which may have an impact on speed and depth of public responses.

Specialist built environment media has been slower to engage directly with the implications of COVID-19 on climate change, instead focusing on the practical implementation of changing spaces to deal with the pandemic. The sector has not, however, forgotten about climate change. Last week, Architects Declare reached its one-year anniversary (with almost 1,000 practices now pledged) and was joined by a declaration from the UK’s leading contractors. Similarly, the Architects’ Journal formally submitted its RetroFirst campaign to government promoting re-use of existing buildings through recalibrating tax incentives away from new build, policy encouraging building and material recycling, and public procurement favouring retrofitting. The Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat will use its forthcoming conference to examine the long-term link between cities and global sustainability.

Building Design recently launched a survey asking readers how COVID-19 has impacted the move towards net zero, with designers also questioning how the climate agenda can be integrated into post-COVID design. The Design Council continues to champion the link between sustainability, inclusivity, and design. Architecture, property and construction firms joined more than 200 business leaders linking up with UK Green Building Council to write to Boris Johnson lobbying for a green recovery and confirmation that strategies will align with the UK’s target of net zero emissions for 2050.

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For more on the Coronavirus, Communications and the Built Environment, check out ING's fortnightly intelligence briefing, which highlights how the built environment sector is responding to the coronavirus crisis, building resilience, and preparing for recovery.

ING's eighth intelligence publication (06.07.2020) examines the elevation of climate as a key ingredient in built environment recovery. Previous bulletins have explored culture, creativity, collaboration, networking, content, and inequality