Researchers forecast COVID-19 pandemic could delay clean energy transition: Traveling restraints and shelter-in-place orders that grounded planes and emptied streets during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic brought greenhouse gas emissions down and air quality up. In a commentary published June 19 in the journal Joule, environmental economists argue COVID-19 may seem like a 'silver lining' for climate change in the short run, but in the long run it is more likely to harm the climate due to its potential to delay clean energy investments and innovation.