Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Carbon Footprint Variations in Households of Chilean Cities

Abstract

Cities generate a large share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which directly affect global climate change. Although it has been shown that global GHGs decreased during the socio-health pandemic, local emissions saw a sharp increase. This research studied the influence of different factors on the heating and energy carbon footprint of households in cities in south-central Chile before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. By means of multiple regression models, it was shown that wood heating, low temperatures, larger dwellings and higher number of inhabitants generally explain the increase of the carbon footprint, especially in confinement. The urgency of developing integrated public policies that consider housing energy efficiency, household energy poverty and the cultural rootedness to the use of firewood in these cities is discussed.