And the demand for cooling is going up.
The International Energy Agency
estimates that by 2050,
today’s two billion air conditioners
will have multiplied
to more than 5.5 billion,
and that by 2030,
electricity demand for cooling buildings
could jump by 50 percent.
And think about this:
most households in hot countries
have not bought their first
air conditioner yet.
I’ve worked on sustainable energy
for many years in different ways;
on energy access in the Sahel,
to cold chains in East Africa,
to financing large-scale energy
infrastructure projects around the world
and to getting access to cooling
in low-income communities
in the UK and the US.
I've always focused on the twin problems
of sustainability and fairness.
I think cooling gets at the heart
of these challenges.
Why?
Well, because most wealthy
people can stay cool.
They often live in wealthy, leafy suburbs
with an air conditioner
and a generator out back,