The global market for Industrial Energy Management Systems (IEMS) is expected to decline by -12.9% in the year 2020 and thereafter recover and grow to reach US$34.7 billion by the year 2027, trailing a post COVID-19 CAGR of 7.2% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. An environmental apocalypse is predicted in the next 40 to 50 years. Natural disasters and pandemics are expected to become more common and COVID-19 is widely seen by scientists as the beginning of an era of natural & humanitarian crises that will follow. The recent rate of progress in global energy efficient improvements is at risk of slowing down in absence of a clear focus of governments towards implementation of new energy efficiency policies. In 2018 global improvements in primary energy intensity, a measure of energy consumption in relation to global economic activity, was significantly lower in comparison to the improvement observed in previous years and also marked the third consecutive year of declining improvement rates. The rate of progress in 2018 also remained much below than the average 3% rate of improvement targeted as part of the International Energy Agency (IEA)'s Efficient World Strategy for achieving global energy and climate goals. The slowdown in energy efficiency gains in 2018 was largely to a warmer summer and a colder winter in the U.S. that drove up energy usage for cooling and heating; increased production from high-energy intensive industries in China and the US; governments' laxity in implementing stringent energy efficiency policies, and major structural factors, such as higher consumer demand for bigger cars and fall in vehicle occupancy rates, coupled with increased consumer preference for larger residential spaces.

Current myopic strategy response to stimulate the economy by rolling back environmental priorities and standards is additionally positioning the world for a more serious climate catastrophe. Polluters are now "bolder than ever". The pandemic and resulting economic devastation is giving industries such as fossil fuels, plastics, airlines, and automobiles a free hand as they scramble for advantage. In a worrisome trend, governments, particularly like the U.S. are giving in to companies' lobbying for cash, regulatory rollbacks, tax changes that benefit the industry and other special emission concessions. As manufacturing factories are pushed to make up for lost time and business losses, governments are suddenly issuing a lot more permits for new plant construction which carry serious long-term implications for the environment. Majority of polluting industries are exploiting the opportunity to sideline regulations intended to protect the environment and public health. Climate mitigation endeavors are slated to be dented by lopsided COVID-19 response plans announced by various countries to fuel economy coupled with rollback of stringent pollution-related norms. The situation is further exacerbated by biased focus of governments on reviving the economy, even on the expense of climate mitigation efforts. Several countries are bailing out polluting industries and relaxing regulations pertaining to pollution control and monitoring. Leading economies including the US and Europe are aggressively supporting industries, including polluting units, and accelerating permits for coal-fired power generation. In addition, various governments are offering stimulus packages and suspending taxes and fees for polluting industries to drive economic activity. While these strategies are intended to augment economic growth and create new job opportunities, they also give sustainability a major setback.

Now is the time to foresee and prevent environmental degradation. Although the present economic scenario does not warrant additional investments in energy infrastructure owing to the low demand, governments and businesses should take advantage of the attractive pricing at the moment to initiate infrastructure buildup for alternative energy as part of long-term strategy to decrease dependence on fossil fuels. For instance, to achieve net zero emissions, renewable energy would have to account for about three-fourths of energy supply, and investments in alternative energy would aid countries and companies to achieve this goal at a faster rate. Governments can also aid in improving sustainability by promoting innovation and disruptive technologies that can aid sustainability measures. Governments should try to link economic support with sustainability measures and should find ways to blunt the effect of any politically adverse reactions through proper implementation and communication. The pandemic provides the perfect opportunity for increased shift towards alternative energy. Even though fossil fuel-based energy has become cheap owing to economic slowdown, alternative energy is the future for a sustainable planet. With a green recovery from COVID-19 being the only meaningful recovery, investments in Industrial Energy Management Systems (IEMS) is poised for a quick rebound from the current slump.