Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
Research ESRIG - Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen News

Fallout from coronavirus outbreak triggers 25% decrease in China's carbon emissions |CBC interview with Klaus Hubacek

03 March 2020

'In terms of the absolute volume of emissions, this is absolutely unprecedented,' researcher says

'De-coupling' growth from carbon

The entanglement of economic activity and carbon emissions is one of the most vexing aspects of climate change mitigation.

For years, experts have debated how to separate growth from carbon emissions, a concept known as de-coupling.

"The economy grows, the emissions grow, unless we have decoupling," said Hubacek, whoseresearch has shown that reducing carbon emissions in one country often results in a shift of carbon-intensive production to another country.

The task is also complicated by the challenge of lifting much of the world out of poverty while trying to reduce emissions. Hubacek points out that half of the world's population is still living on $3 a day.

Some academics are also studying the concept of degrowth, a school of thought where economic activity is deliberately reduced to slow climate change. The research is geared toward policies that would gradually scale back economic growth to the point where it's in sync with global resources. The idea is to use local resources and change the way people work so that less time is spent on economically oriented activity.

Prof. dr. K.S. (Klaus) Hubacek
Prof. dr. K.S. (Klaus) Hubacek

"I find it quite sympathetic and interesting but it's really, within academia, a niche. I don't think it has any political traction at this point," said Hubacek (Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, ESRIG).

More information

Read full interview on the CBC website

Last modified:01 August 2022 11.57 a.m.

More news

  • 18 March 2024

    VentureLab North helps researchers to develop succesful startups

    It has happened to many researchers. While working, you suddenly ask yourself: would this not be incredibly useful for people outside of my own research discipline? There are many ways to share the results of your research. For example, think of a...

  • 04 March 2024

    A plant-based sensor

    Every two weeks, UG Makers puts the spotlight on a researcher who has created something tangible, ranging from homemade measuring equipment for academic research to small or larger products that can change our daily lives. That is how UG...

  • 11 December 2023

    Join the 'Language and AI' community

    As a part of the Jantina Tammes School, the 'Language and AI' theme is an interdisciplinary initiative that aims to encourage collaboration among academics, PhD candidates, students, and industry representatives who share a keen interest in the...