1.1bn people at risk from global warming

More than a billion people are at risk from a lack of air conditioning and refrigeration to keep them cool and to preserve food and medicines as global warming pushes up temperatures, a study has suggested.

More electricity demand for fridges, fans and other appliances will add to man-made climate change unless power generators shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energies, according to the report released on Monday by the non-profit Susdrop tainable Energy for All group.

About 1.1 billion people in Asia, Africa and Latin America – 470 million in rural areas and 630 million slum dwellers – were at risk among the world’s 7.6 billion people, it said.

“Cooling becomes more and more important with climate change,” Rachel Kyte, head of the group and special representative for the UN secretary-general for Sustainable Energy for All, said.

In a survey of 52 countries, those most at risk included India, China, Mozambique, Sudan, Nigeria, Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

“We have to provide cooling in a super-efficient way,” Kyte said. “Companies could find big markets, for instance by developing low-cost, high-efficiency air conditioners.

“And simpler solutions, such as painting roofs white to reflect sunlight or redesigning buildings to allow heat to escape, would also help.” –