Cooling is the single largest electricity load, while traditional air conditioning is costly to maintain, energy-intensive, and a major contributor to global carbon emissions.
In high-density cities like Hong Kong, commercial and industrial building operations account for 70% of total electricity consumption, with around 30% coming from air conditioning.
Rising global temperatures increase cooling demand, which accelerates global warming through high energy use, alongside the rising electricity demand from AI R&D and other technology innovation.
Electricity consumption from commercial and industrial buildings
Building electricity use related to air conditioning
Source: EMSD Hong Kong Energy End-Use Data 2025