COVID-19 Impact on the Environment and Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19, which first emerged in China in late 2019, spread across the globe rapidly in 2020, evolving from an epidemic to a pandemic within a matter of weeks. In response to the pandemic, several restriction measures were implemented in various countries, including strict lockdowns. Lockdown measures confined people to their homes for weeks or even months on end, leading to significant changes to daily life and to human attitudes. It also had a significant effect on the environment—e.g., fossil fuel combustion for power (one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions) was reduced. Air pollution was also affected by the virus—e.g., traffic dropped by more than 80 percent in some cities, with fewer derived pollutants, and levels of nitrogen dioxide dropped by almost 40 percent in Europe. This is particularly significant especially in the context of scientific findings since the virus emerged which have linked air pollution with increasing coronavirus infections. Other effects of the virus were also evident, e.g., in terms of waste production and management, or disinfectant discharge in the environment. This Special Issue aims to explore the effects of COVID-19 on the environment across the globe, and how the virus may also affect the environment and sustainability development in the future.

Prof. Dr. Elza Bontempi
Dr. Marco Race
Dr. Alessandra Zanoletti
Dr. Mario Coccia
Topic Editors