The world is blowing its chance to “build back better” from Covid-19

The hope was to lock in some of the deep carbon emission reductions brought on by the global slowdown—with the added benefit that green government spending can get more bang for the buck than traditional stimulus measures. A letter released on July 9 by a coalition of leading climate diplomats and economists, including former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, warns that “most stimulus packages have not incorporated climate resilience into their recovery plans.” The letter came after an online summit hosted by the International Energy Agency that included cabinet-level representatives from dozens of countries, including US energy secretary Dan Brouillette and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Jianhua.