- Up to 4.2 billion domestic refrigerators may be in use
by 2050 – more than double today's number
- Global cooling experts call for 'absolute urgency to
drive development and deployment of sustainable, affordable and
resilient cooling solutions' to meet climate targets
- Undertaken by home appliance expert Beko, the report
challenges the public and private sectors to innovate together
ISTANBUL, May 22, 2024
/CNW/ -- A new report has highlighted the 'double bind' presented
by the rapid expansion of access to domestic refrigeration – the
need to balance improvements in global living standards with the
environmental impact of the additional 2.3 billion domestic
refrigerators that may be in use globally by 2050 (+121% versus
2022).
The report, "Without Access to Fundamental Services: The
Right to Refrigeration", has been undertaken by home appliance
leader Beko, and features contributions by world-leading cooling
experts Professor Toby Peters and Dr
Leyla Sayin from the University of Birmingham in the UK.
Challenge 1: adequate access to cooling
In their contribution to the report, the two experts highlight
the many challenges that stand in the way of the universal
provision of the essential service of refrigeration.
- Globally, more than 1.2 billion lack of access to
cooling and are consequently categorised as high-risk (~15% of
the global population);
- Lack of effective refrigeration contributes to the loss of
526 million tonnes of food produced annually. This is enough to
feed an estimated one billion people – representing its own massive
emissions hazard.
- Improved access to refrigeration is impeded by the fact that
745 million people lack access to electricity and 3.5
billion suffer frequent power cuts.
- Entrenched poverty and inequality mean many cannot afford a
fridge at all, whether on-grid or off.
- Cutting food waste is essential, given that in 2023 in 333
million people were facing acute food insecurity.
Challenge 2: the associated environmental impact
Rising emissions is the other key concern.
- Household appliances already account for 8% of global carbon
emissions, which is more than three times the global carbon
emissions of the aviation[1] industry.
- Of the total emissions from household appliances, 15% is
caused by domestic refrigerators.
- The cooling sector more broadly already accounts for nearly
20% of global electricity consumption and comprises more than
10% of global emissions.
The global energy consumption by appliances and equipment
continues to grow every year. This is driven largely by expanding
ownership and use of energy-consuming devices, particularly in
developing countries. The report estimates that 2.3 billion people
worldwide are reaching income levels where they are likely to
purchase inexpensive but inefficient, polluting refrigerators. What
will happen to these figures as the number of domestic
refrigerators in use shoots up, as predicted? By 2050, 4.2 billion
domestic refrigerators are predicted to be in use.
Creating a future in which everyone can access essential
services in harmony with the planet
Hakan Bulgurlu, CEO of Beko, says: "It is simply not
acceptable to deny those in the Global South access to a
comfortable and healthy living due to business-as-usual emissions
increases as this population gains access to what many in the
Global North have taken for granted for decades. Our question is
this: how can more people gain access to essential home appliances,
while we ensure efficient energy consumption?"
"We decided to investigate an area of Beko expertise –
refrigeration. A fridge at home is linked to a variety of important
development and human rights indicators. But more refrigerators
mean more energy consumption and emissions, and by extension an
increase in the effect of global warming, which is being felt
around the world, but acutely in the Global South. Therein lies the
conflict that Beko is urging businesses and policymakers to
address."
Distinct issues to be tackled in different parts of the
world
The complexities of the problem are playing out in different
ways around the world, which are illuminated by examples in this
report. For instance, in Pakistan, where a huge rural population
struggles with access to a reliable supply of electricity and low
to average incomes, a large, fast-growing population will
nonetheless likely boost the number of refrigerators, with serious
implications for global emissions.
South Africa, too,
struggles with an intermittent electricity supply, although a
larger proportion of the population has access. The key issues
facing South Africa are
electricity production practices that depend on coal, and the stark
inequality that means despite being an upper middle-income country,
its poorest citizens may struggle to buy a quality,
energy-efficient refrigerator.
Solutions through genuine collaboration
Solving the refrigeration problem won't be easy. But there are
ways forward. To truly address the problems presented in this
report, genuine collaboration between the private and public
sectors will be essential, not optional.
The private sector needs to research and develop
pioneering energy-efficient, low leakage, and affordable
refrigeration solutions; communicate the advantages of
energy-efficient products; respect local knowledge and build trust
among consumers; lobby for stringent regulation; and contribute to
global industry standards.
Policymakers should pursue and enforce international
agreements; create National Cooling Action Plans[2]; run
public information campaigns; put processes in place to dispose of
older or broken fridges in an environmentally friendly way; and,
through advocacy and research, make sure the world's poorest are
not excluded from the right to refrigeration.
Key data points summary
- 333 million people were facing acute food insecurity in 2023,
which is more than 200,000 above pre-pandemic levels.
- The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
says that food production must increase by 70% by 2050 to feed a
fast-growing global population.
- A household is likely to buy a fridge once its income reaches
10,000 USD per year (source: the
German Agency for International Cooperation, GIZ)
- 745 million people may still live without access to
electricity. By 2030, an estimated 660 million are likely to be
left without electricity.
- The number of people without or with inconsistent access to
electricity stands at 3.5 billion.
- The number of refrigeration appliances in use in 2022 was 1.9
billion, with 165 million units sold. By 2030, there are projected
to be 2.5 billion units in use and 209 million units sold annually;
and by 2050, 3.8 billion units in use and 256 million units sold
annually.
- More than 1.2 billion rural and urban poor globally are
categorised at high risk due to lack of access to cooling.
- If everyone who needed a refrigerator had one, there would be
4.2 billion domestic refrigerators in 2050. Providing cooling for
all who need it by 2050 would require 14 billion active cooling
appliances worldwide.
- The cooling sector consumes more than 17% of the overall
electricity used worldwide.
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-022-00001-w
[2] A National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) is a
document that outlines a country's strategy for sustainable
cooling. It covers regulatory, policy, technical and operational
areas to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in
the cooling sector. NCAPs are seen as an effective tool to
strategize sustainable cooling actions.
ABOUT BEKO
Beko has 55,000 employees throughout
the world with its global operations through its subsidiaries in
57 countries and 45 production facilities in 13 countries
(i.e. Türkiye, UK, Italy,
Romania, Slovakia, Poland, South
Africa, Russia,
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and China). Beko has 22 brands owned
or used with a limited license (Arçelik, Beko, Whirlpool*, Grundig,
Hotpoint, Arctic, Ariston*, Leisure, Indesit, Blomberg, Defy,
Dawlance, Hitachi*, Voltas Beko, Singer*, ElektraBregenz, Flavel,
Bauknecht, Privileg, Altus, Ignis, Polar). Beko became the
largest white goods company in Europe with its market share (based on
volumes) and reached a consolidated turnover of 8 billion Euros in 2023. Beko's 31 R&D
and Design Centers & Offices across the globe are home to
over 2,300 researchers and hold more than 3,500 international
registered patent applications to date. For the 5th consecutive
year, the highest score in the DHP Household Durables industry
(based on the results dated 27 October 2023) in the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index of the S&P Global Corporate
Sustainability Assessment was achieved.** Beko's vision is
'Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide.'
www.bekocorporate.com
*Licensee limited to certain jurisdictions.
**The
data presented belongs to Arçelik A.Ş., a parent company of
Beko.
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SOURCE Beko