A checklist for those who can't avoid using air conditioners

Reiterating the same, Gates said, "If you are tough, don't buy air conditioning, it's good for the climate. But as India gets warmer and warmer, I'm betting the demand for air conditioning is going to sky rocket."

Gates, who was speaking at an Indian Express event, was talking about dealing with climate change at the cost of not striving towards a better lifestyle, is not the way to go forward. "In the US in particular, we could use half as much energy per person, but if we said to India to stay at your current level that would be completely unjust," he said, adding that US has the most air-conditioning by far, even more than Europe.

"And as it gets hotter, you demand more electricity, which if it is not green, then you are in a positive feedback loop," he said.

As world leaders continue to address and deal with climate change at global events such as the COP, G20, World Economic Forum, etc and strive towards green energy transition, here is what citizens can do to check their energy consumption to reduce their carbon footprint on a personal level:

If you are a first-time AC buyer or want to purchase a new one, look for an air-conditioner with 5-star ratings. These cool the room efficiently by saving your electricity consumption. They are faster at cooling than their three-star counterpart. In this way you can save up on power and also your money.

In case you already have an air conditioner at home, you can check out the sleep mode. It regulates the AC temperature to keep you comfortable throughout the different sleep stages.

You can also try the power saver mode on your air conditioner. This saves power and ensures the compressor is turned off when the temperature in the thermostat is reached.

Air conditioners release chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the air, which contributes to the Ozone layer's depletion. CFCs are also a source of refrigerators and aerosol cans. You can also opt to purchase 5-star refrigerators that save up on electricity consumption as well. The compressors in the older refrigerators consume more electricity compared to the recent technologies.

Study your appliances, their different modes and see how you can use them to your advantage. For example, most washing machines have a 'delicate' mode to wash garments marked 'gentle' on the label, or ones you would prefer to hand wash. So, instead of using the 'delicate' mode when you have just one or two garments to wash, you can wait a few days till you have some more clothes that can be washed in the 'delicate' cycle.

Switch off appliances when not in use.

 Other ways you can save up on power is by not operating your washing machine when there is less load. By reducing the days you do your laundry, you are also reducing your power consumption and saving up water.

Look for power saver modes. Your ACs have them (as mentioned above) and your phones have them as well. It saves your battery and your power consumption.