The priority is to save lives as governments respond to the crisis.

With lockdowns on, we travel less and consume fewer goods.

There are unintended benefits for the environment.

We've all seen the clips of animals taking over empty towns and cities, but the environmental impact has been so much bigger than that.

Nitrous oxide levels harmful pollution caused by traffic.

They have been down around 40% in Italy, second largest city Milan, when compared to this time last year, it's the same in cities across the world.

Carbon dioxide levels have also dropped his country's produced fewer goods and use less energy.

Carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming.

China is the world's largest emitter, pumping out nearly twice as much as the next country on the list.

The U.

S Yes.

In February, at the height of the Corona virus crisis in China, carbon emissions were 25% lower than the previous year on burning of cold.

One of the worst fossil fuels contributing to climate change was 36% lower.

So this is some much needed good news right now and gives us a glimpse into what a healthier planet could look like in Beijing.

The usually smoke filled sky has been blue and clear, but it's more than that.

Air pollution is one of the most deadly environmental killers globally.

It's estimated to call seven million deaths a year and shorten our lives by three years.

If these reductions could be made permanent, perhaps they could be lasting benefits for everyone.

So could our reliance on fossil fuels remain lower after the crisis, improving air quality on reducing global warming?

Based on what we've seen in the past?

It doesn't look likely.

During the global recession of 2000 and eight, emissions also fell.

Yet as companies and governments try to reenergize the economy after the initial collapse, emissions rose much faster than they normally would have.

And this could also be the case today.

The world's focuses now on making sure that this crisis effects a few families as possible, and that there are jobs and security for everybody.

When this finally ends, there is also let's focus on protecting the environment.

There was going to be a big conference on how to tackle climate change in Scotland later this year that has been postponed.

Fewer police and officials are available for normal duties, which means vulnerable habitats such as the Amazon jungle are under threats from illegal logging and land clearances.

Unlike many industries, work on renewable energy projects has stopped running.

2020 will now be the first year that solar power will contribute less to the world power.

This virus has created a difficult and testing time for everyone surviving.

It is the priority.

But once we've done that, we could have a chance to avoid repeating the environmental mistakes off the past.