As global temperatures rise, demand for air conditioning is accelerating. Yet the technology used to protect people from extreme heat also contributes to warming through electricity consumption, refrigerant emissions and the direct release of heat into cities.
Cooling the inside, heating the outside
Air conditioners do not create cold; they move heat. A typical system extracts heat from a building and releases it outdoors together with additional heat generated by the electricity required to operate the system. In densely populated cities, widespread air-conditioning use can measurably increase local temperatures, particularly at night.
A rapidly growing electricity demand
Air conditioning now accounts for around 10 per cent of global electricity consumption. According to the International Energy Agency, electricity used for cooling buildings has risen sharply over the past decade as temperatures, incomes and urban populations increase.
The challenge is expected to become substantially larger as air-conditioning ownership expands across Asia, Africa, Latin America and other rapidly developing regions.
The hidden climate problem
Refrigerants present another concern. Many existing systems contain hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which can be hundreds or thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide as greenhouse gases.
International efforts under the Kigali Amendment are progressively reducing their use and encouraging lower-impact alternatives.
A global cooling dilemma
Air conditioning is also increasingly essential. Extreme heat kills, reduces productivity and places pressure on hospitals, schools and infrastructure. The solution is therefore not simply to reduce access to cooling.
More efficient systems, improved buildings, low-impact refrigerants and renewable electricity could dramatically reduce the climate footprint. Solar energy is particularly suited to cooling because electricity production is often highest when temperatures and air-conditioning demand peak.
The paradox is clear: a warmer world needs more cooling. How that cooling is produced could determine whether air conditioning accelerates global warming or becomes an important part of adapting to it.
Newshub Editorial in Europe – 26 August 2026
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