Economic crisis may lower emissions in the short term

20/10/2008 - The world economic crisis could have a silver lining - it might reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short-term.

But in the longer term the crisis is likely to exacerbate climate change as people put the economy ahead of the environment.

Climate economist Frank Jotzo, from the Australian National University, says the financial meltdown will likely lead to less economic and export activity around the globe during the next few years.