Air Conditioning Poses a Climate Conundrum

In 2023 , 3.8 billion people around the world suffered in extreme heat for at least a day , and over 47,000 people in Europe alone died from heat-related causes.

The more we cool, the more planet-warming global greenhouse gas emissions we pump into the atmosphere.

Air conditioning is no longer just a luxury, but an imperative for human health, as heat stress is the leading weather-related cause of death.

Heat exacerbates inequality because access to cooling is tied to wealth.

90% of US and Japanese households have air conditioning, as compared to 8% of people in the hottest regions of the world.

In Sub-Saharan Africa , less than 4% of homes have cooling and these are almost all the wealthiest households.

To reach net zero , the IEA says that increased adoption of the highest-efficiency air conditioners must be combined with building and neighborhood designs that incorporate passive cooling, as well as individual behavior changes such as setting thermostats slightly higher.

Many companies and researchers are exploring different strategies to improve energy efficiency.

The Global Cooling Prize is a competition with the goal to develop air conditioning with five times less climate impact.