Number of air conditioners in the world expected to triple by 2050, six billion units

The sad truth is that the refrigerant gases helping us adapt to climate change are themselves a leading driver of the crisis. Effective rules and enforcement is needed to keep this sleeping giant of a climate threat on ice.

The exponential growth in air conditioning using potent HFCs is a serious climate threat. Of course, the HFCs are only harmful if they are released to the atmosphere, writes researcher Blaise Salmon. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

BY BLAISE SALMON

December 27, 2023

VICTORIA, B.C.—At the end of the hottest year on record, it is clear the world will need ever increasing numbers of air conditioning to cope with extreme heat. This is particularly true in developing countries, often located in the world’s warmest regions, which hav...

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