Jonas Nahm, Scot Miller, and Johannes Urpelainen were awarded a launched grant from the Alliance for a Healthier World to study the climate impact of the post-Covid economic recovery. The recession caused by efforts to contain the global COVID-19 pandemic has, at least in the short-term, led to a considerable drop of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet not only are such short-term emissions reductions tied to unsustainable economic shutdowns, past recessions have been followed by rapid increases in carbon emissions that have offset much of the reductions of the downturn. Unprecedented economic stimulus spending expected in the post-COVID 19 recession recovery offers an opportunity to combat such inequality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Long-term investments in infrastructure, transportation electrification, building efficiency, and clean energy technologies can reduce emissions and sustainably shift the global economy away from fossil fuels, significantly reducing global health inequality from climate change.

This project will provide a comprehensive assessment of post-pandemic climate-related stimulus spending in G20 economies, which jointly account for more than 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 85 percent of global economic activity. This project will result both in a publicly available database of stimulus packages and a detailed model of future emissions reductions resulting from green stimulus spending. By offering a transparent assessment of national efforts, these scholars hope to increase public pressure on governments to use stimulus spending for long-term and equitable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.