Pathways to Prevent Dumping of Climate Harming Room Air Conditioners in the Global South
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This research series explores the origins of low-efficiency high-Global Warming Potential (GWP) room air conditioners in the Global South and offers solutions toward more equitable and affordable cooling.
Low-efficiency, climate-harming room air conditioners are common across the Global South. This is due largely to a practice known as environmental dumping, which raises costs for consumers, strains national electric grids, and jeopardizes climate mitigation targets.
What is environmental dumping?
When appliances that don’t meet the regulatory standards of the countries where they are manufactured are export to countries with lower or no standards, this is considered environmental dumping.
Environmental dumping of room air conditioners is a common practice, resulting in high volumes of low-efficiency, high-global-warming potential (GWP) room air conditioners in countries that lack stringent room AC standards and refrigerant regulations.
This occurs across the Global South, as research by CLASP and the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) has revealed. Studies from Africa (2020) and Southeast Asia (2023) have confirmed that low-efficiency, high-GWP cooling appliances are prevalent in both regions.
What are the impacts on people & planet?
As temperatures rise around the globe, the demand for cooling appliances is growing rapidly. The number of ACs in use is projected to grow from 1.6 billion units in 2023 to 5.6 billion in 2050, according to the IEA. Despite that, only 15% of the 3.5 billion people living in warm regions have air conditioning. Making cooling more accessible requires overcoming a key barrier: affordability.
The prevalence of low-efficiency room air conditioners in the Global South makes this more difficult to achieve, as these appliances cost consumers more to run.
Low-efficiency, high-GWP room air conditioners also strain electricity systems and lock countries into higher energy use and emissions, slowing progress toward national and global climate goals.
How can environmental dumping be prevented?
Ambitious national appliance efficiency policies are a powerful way to help markets shift toward next-generation technologies that lower electricity costs and cut CO₂ emissions. Complementary government action on obsolete refrigerants can further speed the transition to climate-friendly alternatives.
Still, no single country can tackle environmental dumping or the spread of outdated, high-emission products alone. Addressing these challenges requires shared responsibility and close collaboration among governments, industry, civil society, and international partners.
What is CLASP doing?
To further expand the knowledge base and understand the extent of environmental dumping globally, CLASP and IGSD have partnered with the Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to research environmental dumping of room air conditioners across Latin America and the Caribbean.
In addition to assessing the extent of environmental dumping, this upcoming research also highlights how it may contribute to cooling access and affordability challenges in the region, especially for vulnerable populations such as women and low-income households.