Track: Energy and Resource Efficiency

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic was declared a global emergency as it changed people’s lifestyle socially and economically. Thus COVID-19 does not only have health impact, but impact global economies, energy demand or energy poverty and carbon emissions, and many more. Energy demand and consumption  are foremost among global challenges. Specifically, COVID-19 has changed the energy consumption pattern of most homes, organizations, industries, and nations as the energy sector provides fuel for most of the activities in every walk of life. This has brought everyone faced-to-face with the three-sided challenge: COVID-19 health issues, economic issues and climate change.  It is projected that countries that were in full lockdown would have 25% decline in energy demand per week and an average of 18% reduction for countries in partial lockdown. It was also assessed that the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on global energy demand is seven times less when compared with the impact of 2020 COVID-19 on global energy demand.  Another projection was that demands for oil, coal, gas, nuclear as sources of energy – will drop while that for renewables will increase. Precisely, oil, coal and CO₂ emission are expected to drop by 9%, 8% and 8% respectively. CO₂ emission will be six times larger compared to CO₂ reduction caused by global financial crises in 2009 and two times of all reductions since end of World War II. It is however feared that the rebound effect of emission might be higher than the fall if concerted effort is not made to promote clean and efficient energy technology.

In addition, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated 6% reduction in global gross domestic product (GDP) as a result of COVID-19 in 2020 and a 7% rebound effect in 2021. It was projected that in 2025%, global GDP will drop by 9% due to COVID-19. Aviation, commuting and office-space are respectively projected to drop by 5%, 2% & 1% by 2025. The IMF further affirmed that global energy demand fell by 8% in 2020, and that it will fluctuate below pre-COVID-19 prediction by about (6-8)% till 2050. Also, assessed was that transport energy used will never again attain it 2019 figures; the consumption of steel and construction materials for office building will tremendously reduce.

In the face of this once-in-a-century crisis, there are many possible outcomes for energy use and emission as well as contributing factors. This intriguing interplay of estimates of certain indicators and determinants is very captivating and has sparked-off discussions and surveys at various levels and quarters like similar, previous crises.    There is need for a systematic review, visualization, and mapping of existing literature on this subject. This study will review and present energy-related COVID-19 publications, their findings with the view to answer the following questions: how has COVID-19 affected energy consumption?; what is the trend of energy-related COVID-19 studies?; and what are the gaps in the energy-related COVID-19 studies?.  Also, the study will offer recommendations for decision-making. Amongst others, finding will serve as a guide to prospective researchers in this area of interest.