As of late summer, governments around the world had pledged $12.2 trillion of relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. That’s around 15 percent of the global gross domestic product— three times larger than government spending put forward during and after the 2008–2009 global financial crisis and enough for every adult in the world to receive a $2,000 check.
In an article for The Conversation, Senior Research Scientist David L. McCollum says a good chunk of initial COVID-19 aid funding is being rightly used to support health care systems, preserve people’s livelihoods, and stabilize employment. But much is slated for investment into infrastructure and economies. Whether those investments are climate friendly or not remains to be seen.
The global economic rebuild could include efforts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, one of today’s looming megathreats. Read the full article on The Conversation.
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CONTACT:
Lindsey Owen (865-974-6375, lowen8@utk.edu)