22 There are currently two billion air conditioners worldwide, with some 135 million new units being added each year. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that this number will triple by 2050 with the increase in income in emerging countries such as India, China, and Indonesia, combined with the impending rise in temperatures. Half of the appliances will be concentrated in Asia alone. However, the Old Continent will not be left out: by the end of the century, there will be up to 100 days a year above 35 °C in Southern Europe, which will heighten demand. In France alone, the ownership rate could reach 50%. FOR BETTER ORWORSE Air con has its good side. According to the IEA, it saves tens of thousands of lives each year, if only in residential care homes for the elderly or hospitals. In Japan, where 90% of households have access to conditioned air, 30,400 heatrelated deaths were able to be prevented in 2019, compared to just 2,400 in India, where no more than 11% of households are equipped with air conditioning. However, air conditioning aggravates heatwave phenomena. To pump cold air inside, the same amount of hot air has to be emitted to the outside, which contributes to heating the ambient air and further increasing the need to cool living spaces. A truly vicious circle that encourages the appearance of heat islands in the urban environment (+1 °C at night in the city center) and, according to the IEA, is responsible for the emission of around one billion metric tons of CO2 per year, out of a total of 37 billion. Not to mention the associated release of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant Air conditioning is at the heart of a global controversy, which is showing no signs of easing. Accused by some of aggravating global warming, it provides others with welcome – even vital – comfort. In the face of such antagonism and in a context of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, solutions are to be found in less energy-intensive equipment, better use of conditioned air, innovative technologies, and improved adaptation of our accommodation and living environments. IS A WORLD WITHOUT AIR CON possible? LISTEN to episode 12 of our Constructing NewWor(l)ds podcast on Urban heat islands SPoTLIGHT
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