In 2020, governments around the world ordered strict lockdowns in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Transportation and industrial activities were significantly reduced all around the world as people were confined to their homes.
This led to dramatic reductions in emissions such as carbon dioxide. Concentrations of harmful air pollutants also declined in some of the planet's most polluted cities.
This DossierPlus explores the environmental effects of COVID-19 across the globe, and how the societal impacts of the virus may affect the environment in the future.