Global AC Stock to Hit 5.6 Billion by 2050 as Extreme Heat Drives Demand
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 6
Global AC Stock to Hit 5.6 Billion by 2050 as Extreme Heat Drives Demand
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 6
Summary
5.6 billion air conditioners are projected to be installed in buildings by 2050, up from 2.5 billion today, as rising heat makes cooling increasingly essential rather than optional.
2.8 billion people live in the world’s hottest regions, yet only 8% currently have AC; household penetration is 5% in India and 9% in Indonesia, versus about 90% in the US and Japan.
1.1 billion units could be installed in India alone by 2050, up from 48 million in 2020, while cooling power demand in India and Indonesia could reach 75% of their current annual electricity use.
2.5 billion tons of CO2-equivalent emissions came from cooling in 2022—about 7% of the global total—and that could climb to nearly 8 billion tons by 2050 without major efficiency gains and passive cooling.
75% of the decline in the lethality of US days above 80F from 1900 to 2004 was attributed largely to residential AC adoption, underscoring the report’s argument that decarbonization must expand clean energy, not restrict cooling access.