COVID-19 stimulus should address health, the economy and climate together

The author contends that the rapid global response to COVID-19 demonstrates the capacity for decisive action, which should now be applied to the climate crisis. The document advocates for aligning government stimulus spending with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5C and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. It suggests that screening stimulus investments through a climate lens can accelerate zero-carbon solutions in power, transport, and infrastructure, potentially creating a $26 trillion growth opportunity and 65 million new jobs by 2030.

• The author argues that the global response to COVID-19 proves that governments and businesses can act decisively and rapidly when faced with a large-scale threat, a capacity that should be mirrored in the response to the climate crisis, which has the potential to be more devastating.
• Stimulus spending should be screened for climate and resilience to prioritize zero-carbon options and leverage public procurement to increase demand for climate solutions, which can help mitigate unemployment.
• Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is presented as a significant economic opportunity, with a report from the New Climate Economy estimating it could generate 65 million new jobs and a $26 trillion growth opportunity by 2030.

APA

Mendiluce, M. (2020). COVID-19 stimulus should address health, the economy and climate together. We Mean Business Coalition. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/covid-19-stimulus/

Chicago

Mendiluce, María. COVID-19 stimulus should address health, the economy and climate together. We Mean Business Coalition, 2020. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/covid-19-stimulus/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Mendiluce |first1=María |title=COVID-19 stimulus should address health, the economy and climate together |publisher=We Mean Business Coalition |date=20 March 2020 |url=https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/covid-19-stimulus/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mendiluce2020covid19, author = {Mendiluce, María}, title = {{COVID-19 stimulus should address health, the economy and climate together}}, publisher = {We Mean Business Coalition}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/covid-19-stimulus/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }