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Air conditioning: The 'most underestimated' driver of economic growth
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Economy & Trade

Air conditioning: The 'most underestimated' driver of economic growth

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Air conditioning, invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier, is considered a crucial but underestimated driver of economic growth.
  • Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, installed air conditioning in all public buildings, arguing it was essential for the city-state's rapid development.
  • In equatorial Singapore, air conditioning is viewed as vital infrastructure, akin to roads and ports, contributing to its economic takeoff in the latter half of the 20th century.

Willis Carrier's invention of air conditioning in 1902 has resurfaced as a significant, yet often overlooked, factor in economic development, particularly in regions experiencing extreme heat.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's transformative prime minister from 1959 to 1990, recognized the critical role of climate control. He mandated the installation of air conditioners in all public buildings. Yew later asserted that Singapore's remarkable economic ascent would not have been possible without this infrastructure.

Without it, the city-state would not have experienced the dazzling rise it has known.

— Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew's argument for the necessity of air conditioning in Singapore's development.

In Singapore, a nation situated near the equator, air conditioning is not merely a comfort but a fundamental piece of infrastructure, placed on par with essential services like roads and ports. The nation's economy experienced a dramatic surge in the latter half of the 20th century, a period when neighboring countries without widespread air conditioning saw more stable, less explosive growth.

air conditioning is seen as infrastructure, on par with roads and ports.

— Le TempsThe article's description of how air conditioning is viewed in Singapore.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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