Opinion: How can we avoid a ’dirty’ recovery from Covid-19?

A transition to a post-carbon global economy will inevitably be highly disruptive and steps must be taken to ensure it doesn't disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities, say Research Assistant Julia Kreienkamp and Dr Tom Pegram (both UCL Global Governance Institute). The pandemic should serve as an impetus for a just and socially inclusive energy transition. Many green policies put into place so far benefit wealthier parts of society, risking further social division. A new policy briefing explores the promise and shortcomings of the just transition agenda. The window for putting these plans in place is closing rapidly. The implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for climate governance are hotly debated. While some fear that we are in for a 'dirty recovery', with the economic fallout from the pandemic crowding out climate-related concerns, others have expressed hope that the crisis could mark a 'historic turning point' for more ambitious action.