Cooling for All

The report examines the growing global need for cooling, driven by urbanization and rising incomes, particularly in developing countries. It warns that a surge in air conditioning (AC) use could lead to massive increases in electricity demand and urban heat island effects. The document also details the critical role of cold chains in reducing food loss and ensuring vaccine viability, while emphasizing the need to 'leapfrog' high-emission cooling technologies to avoid severe environmental impacts.

• Global electricity demand for air conditioning (AC) is projected to increase significantly, with the IPCC estimating a 33-fold surge by 2100, potentially exceeding 10,000 TWh.
• The 'urban heat island effect' causes cities to be warmer than surrounding rural areas, with some cities of one million or more inhabitants seeing temperature increases of 4-7°C, and up to 12°C on clear, calm nights.
• Excessive heat is projected to cause significant economic losses by 2050, with work hour losses reaching up to 12% in the worst-affected regions of South Asia and West Africa, potentially reducing annual GDP/capita by as much as 6% for severely impacted countries.
• Inefficient cold chains contribute to massive food loss; approximately one-third of total food production for human consumption (1.3 billion tonnes) is lost or wasted annually, resulting in global economic losses of roughly US$750 billion.
• Cold chain failures severely impact healthcare, with the WHO estimating that nearly 50% of freeze-dried and 25% of liquid vaccines are wasted annually due to disruptions in the cold chain.
• The use of AC units can paradoxically increase urban temperatures; research in Phoenix, USA, showed that widespread AC use caused local heating of urban atmospheres, increasing nighttime temperatures by 1-2°C.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2018). Cooling for All. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-05/CurrentandProjectedCoolingDemand.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Cooling for All. 2018. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-05/CurrentandProjectedCoolingDemand.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Cooling for All |date=March 2018 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-05/CurrentandProjectedCoolingDemand.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2018cooling, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Cooling for All}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-05/CurrentandProjectedCoolingDemand.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }