On the indirect environmental outcomes of COVID-19: short-term revival with futuristic long-term implications

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to identify and highlight the positive and negative indirect environmental impacts of COVID-19, with a particular focus on the most affected economies (USA, China, Spain, and Italy). In this respect, the empirical and theoretical dimensions of the contents of those impacts are analyzed. Research findings reveal a significant relationship between contingency actions and positive indirect impacts such as air quality improvements, clean beaches, and the decline in environmental noise. Besides, negative indirect impacts also exist, such as the rise in waste level and curtailment in recycling, further threatening the physical spaces (land and water), besides air. It is expected that global businesses will revive in the near future (though slowly), but the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during this short time span is not a sustainable way of environmental mitigation. Thus, long-term mitigation policies should be strengthened to cope with the undesirable deterioration of the environment. Research findings provide an up-to-date glimpse of the pandemic from the perspectives of current and future indirect environmental impacts and the post-pandemic situation. Finally, it is suggested to invent and prepare action plans to induce a sustainable economic and environmental future in the post-pandemic world scenario.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• environmental impact
• pandemic
• social distancing

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Highlights

• Positive and negative indirect environmental impacts of COVID-19 have been presented along with futuristic long-term implications.

• Contingency policies are associated with air quality improvements, clean beaches, and a decline in environmental noise.

• Negative side effects of COVID-19 include: rise in waste level and curtailment in recycling.

• Reduction in GHGs during this short period is not a sustainable way of environmental mitigation.