Fourth, global problems require multiple forms of international cooperation and solidarity. Third, inequality can be exacerbated both by the threat itself and by mitigation policies, thus placing an additional constraint on policy making. Second, broad public support is critical for early action and underestimating damages impacts support. First, delay is costly, but early and determined action is politically difficult. We draw five policy lessons from the early stages of the pandemic. Learning from policy actions during the COVID-19 crisis could enhance efforts in fighting global climate change, as well as preparing humanity for future crises. The crises face similar challenges in addressing institutional and societal barriers against effective action. Footnote 2 However, the value of side-by-side COVID-19 and climate dialogues extends well beyond short- and medium-term fiscal policy (Helm 2020). 2020 Gawel and Lehmann 2020 Hepburn et al. Present policy debate connecting climate change and COVID-19 primarily concerns minimising these economic damages using clean recovery stimulus packages (Barbier 2020 Engström et al. At the time of writing, the IMF ( 2020a) predicts that global GDP will contract by 4.9% in 2020, far greater than during the 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis, while the European Commission ( 2020a) expects an even larger reduction of 8% for the Euro Area. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will be dramatic. This intervention, while inevitably creating losers, in both cases must be decisive and build on societal consensus. The pandemic and climate change both present potentially devastating global problems with need for rapid remediating government intervention.

Footnote 1 Although the COVID-19 crisis is distinct in contemporary history in bringing simultaneous global health and economic impacts, it shares marked similarities with the climate crisis. Increasing anthropogenic influence on the natural environment over many centuries (Goudie 2018) has led to significant global challenges at the nexus of planetary and human health, of which COVID-19 may just be the latest manifestation.

Climate lockdown meaning