Air quality in Barcelona during the COVID-19 lockdown and the global effect on CO2 emissions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an enormous negative impact on human health, with more than 4.44 million deaths worldwide; on the economy, with an unprecedented deep and abrupt crisis; and on society, with millions of people facing unemployment and dependent, in the best-case scenario, on public welfare or social aid systems. Home confinement, measures to limit non-essential economic activity and travel restrictions in many countries during the spring of 2020 ledto rapid air quality improvements in cities. A detailed analysis of Barcelona's daily immissions of seven pollutants (CO, SO2, NO, NO2, NOx, PM10 and O3) shows a clear decrease from mid-March to June, with the peak in April and the nitrogen oxides. For these pollutants the reduction of traffic density is very likely the main cause of their immissions decrease. On another note, the global reduction of CO2 emissions derived from the use of fossil fuels was estimated at approximately 8 % in 2020, which, despite constituting an unprecedented drop, will have little impact on concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The current situation must be seen as an opportunity to push, without delay, for a drastic change in the energy and economy models towards a socio-environmental paradigm based on sustainability, economic efficiency and solidarity between peoples.