Extreme heat is pushing India to the brink of 'viability'", CNN described the challenges India is facing on the 6th. The country, which has become the world's most populous country, is getting hotter and hotter, but the problem is that the country is stuck in a vicious circle: the hotter the weather, the more Indians use air conditioning;The more people use air conditioning, the hotter the country becomes.
A 2021 survey by the international journal Extreme Weather and Climate showed that India has experienced more than 700 heatwaves in the past 50 years,1More than 70,000 people lost their lives as a result. In June last year alone, temperatures soared to 47 degrees Celsius in parts of the country, killing at least 44 people and causing hundreds of heat-related illnesses. A December 2022 World Bank report estimated that by 2030, 80 million people could lose their jobs due to "heat stress" globally, including 34 million in India.
More than 50 per cent of India's workforce is reported to be engaged in agricultural activities, and high temperatures have put Indians at risk. At the same time, the number of air conditioners is also growing at an alarming rate as the population of large cities is booming. According to the International Energy Agency, from 2019 to 2022, the electricity consumption of refrigeration equipment in India, including air conditioners and refrigerators, increased by 21%. India's total electricity demand for household air conditioners in 2050 will exceed the total electricity consumption of all of Africa today, adding that the global climate crisis is also exacerbated.
Like refrigerators, many air conditioners today use HFCs as refrigerants, a harmful greenhouse gas, the report said. To make matters worse, the electricity for air conditioners** often relies on large amounts of fossil energy to burn. The World Economic Forum estimates that, if left unchecked, air conditioning-related greenhouse gas emissions could lead to a rise in global temperatures by 05 degrees Celsius.
In addition, India is still grappling with poverty and needs to spend billions of dollars to upgrade its transportation and infrastructure. Many countries, including India, are phasing out HFCs from household appliances and replacing them with more climate-friendly substances such as HFOs. Some experts say limiting refrigeration-related emissions could hamper India's economic growth. India has pledged to reduce electricity demand for cooling by 20 to 25 per cent by 2038, while finding and implementing solutions that are in line with its economic goals. (Liu Ming).