As the coronavirus spreads rapidly across the world, China—where the outbreak began—is gradually shuddering back to life. After weeks of lockdowns, travel restrictions and manufacturing delays, some signs of normalcy are returning. Although China’s measures to minimize the spread of the virus dramatically cut carbon emissions and air pollution, the silver lining is temporary. “The Chinese government’s coming stimulus measures in response to the disruption could outweigh these shorter-term impacts on energy and emissions,” Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, wrote recently in an article.
In February, Chinese President Xi Jingping stressed that the country should not only “win the war with the virus” but also “achieve this year’s targets for social and economic development.”
Weeks of stringent measures to contain the virus have damaged the Chinese economy. Small businesses went bankrupt, jobs were lost and schools remain closed. There are already signs of a coming spending binge to compensate. An investment of tens of trillions of yuan has been planned for major projects across the country this year, including gas pipelines and nuclear power plants.
In early March, satellite data showed that nitrogen dioxide levels rose across China’s industrial heartland. Daily coal use is continuing to increase at coastal power plants.