Silver linings and silver bullets

The temporary destruction of energy demand may mean Covid-19 is the turning point for the energy transition

The pandemic of 2020 is an undeniable ­tragedy. Economies have been disrupted and lives impacted in ways that none of us ever imagined. But, while Covid-19 cases have grown in Europe and the US with the onset of winter, the news of successful vaccine trials has given people and markets new hope of a return to normal. When we talk about greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, though, normal is the furthest place we could imagine from where we want to be. CO₂ emissions fell 8.8pc in the first half of 2020. That is not difficult to understand. Businesses closed, people largely stayed at home and global air travel ground to a near-halt. The World Bank estimates that, when all is said and do