In alliance with the Online Extension Program of ICTI (Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation) of the Federal University of Bahia and collaboration with Painel Salvador de Mudança do Clima, #UNESCOSOST developed a virtual meeting on COVID-19: Energy and Environment.
Barcelona, May 25
On May 21, teachers Maiana Matos and Alex Pires, of the Universidade Federal da Bahía (Brazil), shared an online meeting by the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability networks, in which specialist analyzed the perspectives of COVID -19 on sustainability issues, specifically on energy and environment issues.
After the meeting, the researchers shared some reflections from the colaborative exchange they had on Instagram: Why it is important to analyze COVID-19 from the perspective of energy and the environment? It is important for society to understand that the the loss of biodiversity and climate change can intensify the appearance of zoonotic diseases (transmitted from animals to men), such as, for example, MERS, Ebola, SARS, Zika and COVID. In the other hand, it is relevant to understand the role of renewable energy in adapting and mitigating the occurrence of extreme events and pandemics. Which are the mains arguments that you would like to point after the Instagram Live meeting? Loss of biodiversity creates opportunities for pathogens to spread from wildlife to people more easily. According to the IPCC, there is an evidence that indicates that disease epidemics will be more frequent with climate change. During the pandemic, it is possible to register an improvement in the environmental quality (air, water and the presence of animals, among others) in some cities due to the reduction of automobile traffic, which affects the operation of the industries. However, greenhouse gas emissions were not reduced by the pandemic, since to date there have been no structural changes in the type of energy generation, the types of transport and the consequences of deforestation. We further conclude that post-pandemic economies need to be rebuilt more sustainably through green jobs and policies that promote decarbonization and the accelerated transition of clean and renewable energy. UNESCO Chair in Sustainability will continue to present various analyzes related to the current moment of the COVID-19 pandemic and its relationship with sustainability issues.