Investigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on climate

As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented lockdown measures have been imposed worldwide to reduce the spread of the disease, causing huge reductions in economic activity and corresponding reductions in transport, industrial and aircraft emissions. As well as lowering emissions of carbon dioxide, this has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the emissions of pollutants that also affect climate. We have used state-of-the-art computer simulations to quantify how changes in these components are likely to impact the chemical make-up of the atmosphere and the likely short-term impacts on climate.