As the world recovers from COVID-19, we must not let short-term fixes prevent us from addressing longer-term risks like climate change.
According to World Economic Forum research, The COVID-19 pandemic has elicited a global response unlike anything we’ve seen before. From government and business taking on new roles to respond to the crisis to the complete re-organisation of how we work, travel and socialize, we have witnessed transformational changes that didn’t appear possible just weeks ago. The human costs of the pandemic are horrifying, but the response has largely been characterised by care, compassion and connection – and an unheard-of pace of change.
COVID 19 pandemic has a lot in common with climate change. First, is that they both have a Global impact. While climate change kills individuals, communities, and economies slowly.
COVID 19 kills individuals, communities, economies fast. Climate change gives us TIME, COVID 19 doesn’t. The rate at which Climate change impacts are felt varies from country to country depending on their financial muscles to recover and build resilience, there is also time to adapt and mitigate.
The response to COVID on the other hand also vary per countries financial strength and healthcare system. Irrespective of this, if it takes a swipe in any Country, you are either infected or affected. You are immediately on quarantine if exposed, or on lock down to reduce the spread of the virus. If infected, you either lucky to come out alive or are pronounced dead after unsuccessful efforts to save you.
Much remains uncertain about what the world will look like when we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the fundamental societal changes we are witnessing may well offer us a final chance to avoid a climate catastrophe.
In both, we can unite to save humanity. We can stand together to secure our future.
Olumide is an @AtlasCorps Fellow and Co-Founder @ClimateWed
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