Working Paper
Reducing emissions from mobile air conditioning: Policy opportunities for China
Policies that support the development of more-efficient mobile air conditioning (MAC) systems could help China meet both its carbon-neutrality goals and its commitment to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons. This paper reviews policy developments for regulating greenhouse gases from MAC systems in the United States, the European Union, and China. Testing protocols are also examined, with a focus on indirect emissions from both conventional and electric light-duty vehicles.
This comparison of international best practices shows there are many opportunities for encouraging MAC innovation in China. Among the recommendations for conventional vehicles: Incorporate testing of MAC systems into greenhouse gas emission standards and establish a credit management system to encourage innovation. Among the recommendations for battery electric vehicles: Develop energy-consumption limits and include the results of heating and cooling tests in electric vehicle efficiency labels.