An "air conditioning pledge" to be unveiled at the COP28 summit next month will oblige signatory countries to reduce emissions from air conditioning use by 68% by 2050, a draft text consulted by AFP showed on Friday.
However, it is not known how many countries will sign up to this commitment, or whether heavyweights such as China and India, where demand for air conditioning is growing rapidly, will participate.
Air conditioning currently accounts for more than 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. Air conditioners and fans consume considerable amounts of electricity. In addition, air conditioning and refrigeration generally rely on hydrofluorocarbons, pollutants that can have greater global warming effects than carbon dioxide.
The UN estimates that around 3.6 billion air conditioners are in use worldwide but the number is set to soar as global energy demand for air conditioning triples by 2050.
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"Without policy intervention, direct and indirect emissions from air conditioning and refrigeration are projected to increase by 90% above 2017 levels by 2050," warned a UN report in 2020.
The Global Cooling Pledge commits signatories to work towards "reducing air conditioning emissions in all sectors by at least 68% worldwide from 2022 levels by 2050".
Negotiators will meet in Dubai from November 30 for climate talks that are expected to focus on the future of fossil fuels, a call for greater use of renewable energies, and funding for adaptation and transition in developing regions.
