Can Europe Beat the Heat Without More Air Conditioners?
China Tightens Its Grip on Namibia's Next Energy Boom Felicity Bradstock is a writer and journalist based in Mexico City.
She writes for energy websites and covers several other industries, as well as writing… With Europe facing more frequent and hotter heatwaves, the uptake of air conditioning systems has soared across the region in recent years.
This trend is driving energy demand and making it more difficult for countries to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in favour of renewable alternatives.
Several countries across Europe have made ambitious green transition pledges, which is why many governments, companies, and researchers are exploring alternative, less carbon-intensive methods for cooling.
Researchers have been investigating alternative cooling methods for years to reduce dependence on energy-hungry air conditioners.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighted this need in its publication, theGlobal Cooling Watch Report 2023: Keeping it chill.
In the report, the UNEP forecast that the global installed capacity of cooling equipment would triple by 2050, more than doubling electricity consumption.
Air conditioners and refrigerators have both indirect emissions from electricity consumption and direct emissions from the release of refrigerant gases, most of which are much more potent at warming the planet than carbon dioxide.
To encourage a shift away from air conditioners, the UNEP launched itsNature for Cool Cities Challengein 2023 as part of theCool Coalition, a global network of over 80 partners aiming to drive the transition to efficient, climate-friendly cooling.
Urban planning can significantly affect the impact higher temperatures can have on a town or city.
One of the obvious ways to make new buildings cooler is to design and build them using innovative designs, techniques, and materials.
For example, a building can incorporate bricks and other materials designed to absorb heat during the day and radiate it at night.
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