The　electricity　demand　for　space　cooling　in　the　non-residential　building　(NRB)　sector　of　China　is　growing　significantly　and　is　becoming　increasingly　critical　with　rapid　economic　development　and　mounting　impacts　of　climate　change.　The　growing　demand　for　space　cooling　will　increase　global　warming　due　to　emissions　of　hydrofluorocarbons　used　in　cooling　equipment　and　carbon　dioxide　emissions　from　the　mostly　fossil　fuel-based　electricity　currently　powering　space　cooling.　This　study　uses　the　Greenhouse　Gas　and　Air　Pollution　Interaction　and　Synergies　(GAINS)　model　framework　to　estimate　current　and　future　emissions　of　hydrofluorocarbons　and　their　abatement　potentials　for　space　cooling　in　the　NRB　sector　of　China　and　assess　the　co-benefits　in　the　form　of　savings　in　electricity　and　associated　reductions　in　greenhouse　gas　(GHG),　air　pollution,　and　short-lived　climate　pollutant　emissions.　Co-benefits　of　space　cooling　are　assessed　by　taking　into　account　(a)　regional　and　urban/rural　heterogeneities　and　climatic　zones　among　different　provinces;　(b)　technical/economic　energy　efficiency　improvements　of　the　cooling　technologies;　and　(c)　transition　towards　lower　global　warming　potential　(GWP)　refrigerants　under　the　Kigali　Amendment.　Under　the　business-as-usual　(BAU)　scenario,　the　total　energy　consumption　for　space　cooling　in　the　NRB　sector　will　increase　from　166　TWh　in　2015　to　564　TWh　in　2050,　primarily　due　to　the　rapid　increase　in　the　floor　space　area　of　non-residential　buildings.　The　total　GHG　mitigation　potential　due　to　the　transition　towards　low-GWP　refrigerants　and　technical　energy　efficiency　improvement　of　cooling　technologies　will　approximately　be　equal　to　10%　of　the　total　carbon　emissions　from　the　building　sector　of　China　in　2050.　©　2022,　The　Author(s),　under　exclusive　licence　to　Springer　Nature　B.V.