Decrease in life expectancy due to COVID-19 disease not offset by reduced environmental impacts associated with lockdowns in Italy

Abstract

The consequence of the lockdowns implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic on human health damage due to air pollution and other environmental issues must be better understood. This paper analyses the effect of reducing energy demands on the evolution of environmental impacts during the occurrence of 2020-lockdown periods in Italy, with a specific focus on life expectancy. An energy metabolism analysis is conducted based on the life cycle assessment of all monthly energy consumptions, by sector, category and province area in Italy between January 2015 to December 2020. Results show a general decrease (∼5% on average) of the midpoint impact categories (global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, fine particulate matter formation, etc.) over the entire year 2020 as compared to past years. These avoided impacts, mainly due to reductions in fossil energy consumptions, are particularly remarkable during the first lockdown phase between March and May 2020 (∼21% on average). Regarding the endpoint damage on human health, ∼66 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) per 100,000 inhabitants are estimated to be saved. The analysis shows that the magnitude of the officially recorded casualties is substantially larger than the estimated gains in human lives due to the environmental impact reductions. Future research could therefore investigate the complex cause-effect relationships between the deaths occurred in 2020 imputed to COVID-19 disease and co-factors other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Dynamic interactions between oil prices and renewable energy production in Italy amid the COVID-19 pandemic: wavelet and machine learning analyses

“…Italy's comprehensive lockdown measures have significantly influenced energy consumption habits and market dynamics, thus impacting the correlation between oil prices and the shift towards renewable energy production. The pandemic accelerated a global pivot towards renewable energy, a shift particularly evident in Italy where reduced demand for fossil fuels during lockdowns notably affected environmental impact reductions (Rugani et al 2021). These developments highlight the critical need to explore how fluctuations in the oil market influence the transition to renewable energy.…”