Air conditioning is a substantial and growing portion of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In buildings, over two-thirds of these emissions are directly attributed to refrigeration chemicals and humidity loads rather than the setpoint temperature humans associate with feeling cool. This talk will first explore the complex and sometimes positive carbon emission feedback generated by high-performance thermal comfort strategies in buildings. It will then share recent collaborative research on novel air conditioning technologies for decarbonizing the world’s growing need to feel cool.