We adapted our behaviours in ways difficult to conceive a year ago, including some significant curtailments on our personal liberties. I observed these adaptations every morning, when I watched my kids diligently clear the table after breakfast, to make space for school books.Who could have imagined such a seamless universal switch to home schooling? Although the online workouts with Joe Wicks provided a welcome distraction…

I also discovered that wholesale societal transformation is possible. We have seen profound changes, from an 80 per cent drop in international flights, to half the workforce in advanced economies engaging in remote working, all implemented within weeks.This is especially interesting for those of us concerned about the climate crisis; this is the kind of blue-sky thinking we need to decarbonise our economies. Climate action requires fundamental changes in how we run our economies and societies but thankfully does not require a lockdown.

The most striking insight for me is how Covid-19 and the climate and ecological emergency overlap. They share similar attributes and overlap in terms of how we should respond.Economic recovery from Covid-19 will require a massive fiscal stimulus: I believe a Green Deal needs to be at the heart of this. We require significant investment in green infrastructure now, to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. I encourage all environmental professionals to champion this cause.

CIWEM president David McHugh, July 2020