Global air conditioning
demand set to soar

Installed cooling capacity is on
a trajectory to almost triple by
2050, with the most rapid growth
projected in Africa and South Asia

Air-con units cling to apartment
buildings in Hong Kong

PROJECTED RISE IN GLOBAL
COOLING CAPACITY (terawatts)

2022 2030 2040 2050

0
10
20
30
40
50
60

22
58

A5 Countries
Non-A5 Countries

A5 Countries: Developing nations
that are part of Montreal Protocol
(regulates chemicals that damage
Earth’s ozone layer), defined as
having low consumption of ozone-
depleting substances

Picture: Zifeng Zhang (Unsplash)
Sources: AFP, UN
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