Opinion | How Asia's demand for air con threatens its climate change goals - South China Morning Post
Opinion | How Asia’s demand for air con threatens its climate change goals | South China Morning Post
How Asia’s demand for air con threatens its climate change goals
- Heatwaves across Asia are driving demand for air conditioners, which are both a way to ease the effects of heat and a contributor to climate change
- As governments test out solutions, energy flexibility and incentives for consumers to shift power use to off-peak hours offer a promising way forward
On May 29, India woke up to the news that its capital city was burning up with extreme heat. Reports said New Delhi had recorded a staggering temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
because of a faulty sensor. The previous day had multiple recorded readings of 49.9 degrees.
India’s general election, amid worries it could have affected voter turnout.
Last month, 37 cities across India saw temperatures rise above 45 degrees. While Death Valley has few residents – under 1,000 people – these Indian cities are among the world’s most populous. More than 50 heatstroke deaths have been officially confirmed across the country from March to May, and many others have been reported.
Southeast Asia–
including Pakistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines – have endured prolonged extreme heat.
air conditioning, the most immediate way to mitigate the effects of extreme heat. Air conditioner manufacturers in India have reported they face shortages amid an unprecedented level of demand.
A 2018 International Energy Agency report indicates that two-thirds of global households are expected to have air conditioners by 2050, with China, India and Indonesia accounting for half that amount. Estimates suggest India will overtake China as the largest consumer of air conditioning around 2045.
This surge in air conditioning demand in India, China and elsewhere is both the result of a rapidly warming world as well as a contributor to further warming. Global efforts to curb carbon emissions by encouraging electric vehicles and cutting back on heavily polluting energy sources such as coal overlook one key area: the greenhouse gases generated by air conditioners.
the Kigali Amendment, which is aimed at phasing out HFCs.
India has experimented with some simple solutions, such as painting roofs white to deflect heat and using terracotta cooling installations as alternatives to air conditioning. However, scaling up these measures will be a challenge requiring considerable political will.
Efficient policy measures can do a great deal to help curb cooling demand. Until those measures are fully implemented, though, energy flexibility is a more practical and immediate solution. Energy flexibility involves voluntary reductions, monitoring and adjustments to the energy use of consumers, businesses and industries based on their needs.
rising power demand to significantly reduce cooling bills and limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Even buying a more energy-efficient air conditioner can help. However, high prices for air conditioners in markets such as India are pushing consumers to opt for cheaper models over more energy-efficient ones.
The state government of South Australia enacted a regulation last year requiring air conditioners to meet demand response capability requirements before being connected to the power grid. About 100,000 households in Queensland have installed these smart air conditioners, which can be controlled by the energy provider and allows them to moderate consumption during peak periods.
In 2022, South Korea launched a project aimed at revitalising its electricity market. Households and small businesses take part in an energy savings programme by using smart energy-regulating devices such as lights and air conditioners. The programme has brought a 24 per cent rise in energy savings compared to consumers’ manual adjustments.
As heatwaves grow more frequent and intense, dealing with extreme heat will not only be essential for people’s physical and mental well-being but also key to meeting climate goals and ensuring economic progress across Asia.
Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, southern India
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”