The COVID-19 Reset and Sustainable Development

COVID-19 reset

The international lockdown that was the result of the COVID-19 outbreak had a lot of negative results. Economies have tanked. Unemployment is at an all-time high. People are not free. But there may be one very positive outcome: sustainable development.

People Will Commute to Work Less Frequently

Though forced into this position, many companies have now realized that workers can be just as productive working from home. It’s business as usual for those corporations that embrace Zoom meetings, phone, social media, and all of the ways we connect with each other when not meeting face-to-face. Twitter, Microsoft, and other companies have already announced extended plans for people to telecommute. If you’re concerned about climate change, then this means less fuel spent on commuting, and less energy consumed by companies to heat and cool their facilities.

Pollution and Smog has Cleared

Cities like Beijing and Delhi, where CO2 emissions are among the highest, are experiencing blue skies for the first time in years. Their emissions are predicted to fall by 8% in 2020.

A Sustainable Future

With these changes, people will inevitably consume less as part of their income-generating activities. Real estate developers will begin producing more compact, and energy-efficient facilities. And businesses will seek out these facilities as their new home-bases for the majority of at-home workers, while cutting their larger, energy-hungry spaces.