Climate change is projected to widen global inequality by driving greater airconditioning (AC) adoption in wealthy countries while causing sharply higher heat-related deaths in poorer nations that lack access to affordable electricity, according to a new report by the Climate Impact Lab.
The report warns that rising temperatures could contribute to an additional 430,000 heat-related deaths every year by 2050, with lowand lower-middle-income countries accounting for nearly 10 times more deaths than wealthier nations.
Researchers say access to reliable and affordable electricity for cooling will determine how effectively countries can adapt to worsening heat.
However, many of the regions expected to experience the most extreme temperatures are also those least able to expand electricity access.