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usual”. During the pandemic we however saw that lifestyle changes such as remote working and the increased use of online services are indeed possible and that this transition can happen in a relatively short time,” says IIASA researcher and IIASA-ISC Sustainable Energy theme co-leader Behnam Zakeri. “We have learned a lot from how people and governments reacted to COVID-19, for instance, relying on science-based advice and taking decisive action to tackle the crisis. This gives me hope that we might be able to trigger similar responses to other global crises like climate change.” One positive “side effect” of the abrupt shifts in human behavior in response to the pandemic has been an encouraging 10-30% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and other emissions mainly due to the reduction in global travel. IIASA researcher Joeri Rogelj contributed to a study in which researchers explored whether the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions could have long-term effects on our ability to address global warming. According to Rogelj, the results are both sobering and hopeful. "The flash crash in global emissions due to lockdown measures will have no measurable impact on global temperatures by 2030; but the decisions we make this year about how to recover from this crisis can put us on a solid track to meet the Paris Agreement. Out of this tragedy comes an opportunity, but unless it is seized, a more polluting next decade is not excluded," he concludes. By Ansa Heyl Further information: covid19.iiasa.ac.at/isc pure.iiasa.ac.at/16612 pure.iiasa.ac.at/16712 pure.iiasa.ac.at/16489 pure.iiasa.ac.at/16522 pure.iiasa.ac.at/16623 Franziska Gaupp: gaupp@iiasa.ac.at Tamas Krisztin: krisztin@iiasa.ac.at Reinhard Mechler: mechler@iiasa.ac.at Raya Muttarak: muttarak@iiasa.ac.at Joeri Rogelj: rogelj@iiasa.ac.at Elena Rovenskaya: rovenska@iiasa.ac.at Frank Sperling: sperling@iiasa.ac.at Behnam Zakeri: zakeri@iiasa.ac.at © Adam Islaam | IIASA 15Optionswww.iiasa.ac.at Winter 2020