<p>The coronavirus epidemic that has paralysed the Chinese economy may have a silver lining for the environment.</p>.<p>China's carbon emissions have dropped by least 100 million metric tonnes over the past two weeks, according to a study published on Wednesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in Finland.</p>.<p>That is nearly six percent of global emissions during the same period last year.</p>.<p>The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus -- which has killed over 2,000 and infected more than 74,000 people across China -- has led to a drop in demand for coal and oil, resulting in the emissions slump, the study published on the British-based Carbon Brief website said.</p>.<p>Over the past two weeks, daily power generation at coal power plants was at a four-year low compared with the same period last year, while steel production has sunk to a five-year low, researchers found.</p>.<p>China is the world's biggest importer and consumer of oil, but production at refineries in Shandong province -- the country's petroleum hub -- fell to the lowest level since autumn 2015, the report said.</p>.<p>Economic activity in China usually picks up after the Lunar New Year holiday, which began on January 25.</p>.<p>But authorities extended the holidays this year -- by a week in many parts of the country including Shanghai -- in an effort to contain the epidemic by keeping people at home.</p>.<p>"This is likely to have wiped out a quarter or more of the country's CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions over the past two weeks, the period when activity would normally have resumed after the Chinese New Year holiday."</p>.<p>But environmentalists have warned that the reduction is temporary, and that a government stimulus -- if directed at ramping up production among heavy polluters -- could reverse the environmental gains.</p>.<p>"After the coronavirus calms down, it is quite likely we will observe a round of so-called 'retaliatory pollutions' - factories maximising production to compensate for their losses during the shutdown period," said Li Shuo, a policy adviser for Greenpeace China.</p>.<p>"This is a tested and proven pattern."</p>
<p>The coronavirus epidemic that has paralysed the Chinese economy may have a silver lining for the environment.</p>.<p>China's carbon emissions have dropped by least 100 million metric tonnes over the past two weeks, according to a study published on Wednesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in Finland.</p>.<p>That is nearly six percent of global emissions during the same period last year.</p>.<p>The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus -- which has killed over 2,000 and infected more than 74,000 people across China -- has led to a drop in demand for coal and oil, resulting in the emissions slump, the study published on the British-based Carbon Brief website said.</p>.<p>Over the past two weeks, daily power generation at coal power plants was at a four-year low compared with the same period last year, while steel production has sunk to a five-year low, researchers found.</p>.<p>China is the world's biggest importer and consumer of oil, but production at refineries in Shandong province -- the country's petroleum hub -- fell to the lowest level since autumn 2015, the report said.</p>.<p>Economic activity in China usually picks up after the Lunar New Year holiday, which began on January 25.</p>.<p>But authorities extended the holidays this year -- by a week in many parts of the country including Shanghai -- in an effort to contain the epidemic by keeping people at home.</p>.<p>"This is likely to have wiped out a quarter or more of the country's CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions over the past two weeks, the period when activity would normally have resumed after the Chinese New Year holiday."</p>.<p>But environmentalists have warned that the reduction is temporary, and that a government stimulus -- if directed at ramping up production among heavy polluters -- could reverse the environmental gains.</p>.<p>"After the coronavirus calms down, it is quite likely we will observe a round of so-called 'retaliatory pollutions' - factories maximising production to compensate for their losses during the shutdown period," said Li Shuo, a policy adviser for Greenpeace China.</p>.<p>"This is a tested and proven pattern."</p>