Air conditioner use increases emissions globally in 2024

Global demand for energy soared in 2024, largely due to record high temperatures that increased the use of air conditioning. This surge in demand has resulted in more greenhouse gas emissions, as many countries turned to coal-fired power generation, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA announced a 2.2% rise in global energy demand last year. This is nearly double the average increase of 1.3% from the past decade. Electricity usage jumped by 4.3%, fueled by demand from data centers, electric vehicles, and air conditioners. Extreme heat waves in countries like China, India, and the United States contributed significantly to this demand. Heat waves alone accounted for about 20% of the increased demand for natural gas and electricity. They also led to a rise in coal consumption of 123 million tons, mostly in power stations. IEA President Fatih Birol noted that heat waves drive electricity demand, which then boosts coal usage in some regions. Despite growth in renewable energy and nuclear power, over half of the increased demand was met with coal, oil, and gas. This resulted in a 0.8% rise in carbon emissions. While this increase is lower than the previous year, it raises concerns about global efforts to combat climate change. The report highlighted a slight positive note: the global economy grew by 3.2% last year, which was greater than overall energy use. This suggests a decoupling of economic growth from emissions. However, progress on energy efficiency improvements has not kept pace with pledges made during the COP28 climate summit. Instead of doubling the rate of efficiency improvements, the world saw a halving of that rate.