The urge to stay cool is becoming increasingly important as the planet warms. The average summer temperature in hot countries is regularly crossing the unsafe threshold. Heat waves that were previously unimaginable are happening in temperate places.According to a 2022 analysis by the research group Sustainable Energy for All, an estimated 1.2 billion rural and urban poor people are at risk because they do not currently have access to cooling, including refrigeration and air conditioning. The survey discovered that regardless of how effective the cooling device is, 2.4 billion middle-class people are "on the brink" of purchasing it.
While millions of people purchasing inexpensive air conditioners is a quick answer for a hotter climate, it also has the potential to make the energy transition more challenging. More air conditioning strains the local power grid and jeopardises efforts to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.