The Global Lockdown: Some Thoughts on a Potential Policy Solution to Climate Change and Other Environmental Challenges

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a lockdown across the continents and many countries around the world. In the course of the lockdown that lasted fully for some weeks, NASA and other reports had shown that there was a dramatic reduction in pollution in China, India and Italy, especially the reduction of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere. In this piece, it is thought that lockdown should be enshrined in global environmental protection agreement such as the Paris Agreement, to serve as a preventive alternative rather than as a defensive approach to stop a pandemic or an environmental emergency. A minimum of 40 days global lockdown in every 30 years has been suggested.