23 per cent drop in Devon's carbon emissions during April - pandemic offers glimpse into a carbon neutral future https://t.co/1jWwbsMcGp pic.twitter.com/zbca6YmjJa— Devon County Council (@DevonCC) May 21, 2020
Dr. Phil Norrey, Chairman of the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group and chief executive of Devon Country Council said:
In the most tragic of circumstances, the lockdown has given a glimpse of how a more sustainable Devon might look, feel and sound. People have experienced quieter streets for walking and cycling, heard more bird song, seen wildlife and felt a greater connection and appreciation for green spaces around them.
Amongst the sadness of the pandemic there is a huge opportunity to use the economic stimulus measures that are necessary to enable communities to recover, to improve public health, our resilience and our wellbeing as well as address the climate and ecological emergencies.
There are projects in Devon, for instance sustainable transport and energy production, that could respond quickly to a cash injection to develop supply chains and skills for a low carbon future.
But as we begin to recover from this pandemic, we must be careful not to fall back into the same old routines. We all must think differently about the way we work and the way we travel.
