Dr Sultan Al Jaber, President-designate of the Cop28 UN climate conference, has urged more countries to join a pledge to deliver more sustainable cooling solutions.
The UN Environment Programme and the Cop 28 Presidency announced in January the development of a 'Global Cooling Pledge', which provides incentives to governments and stakeholders to act on sustainable cooling in five areas: nature-based solutions, super-efficient appliances, food and vaccine cold chains, district cooling and National Cooling Action Plans.
More than 20 nations to date have signed up to the pledge.
Sustainable Energy for All, an independent organisation with close ties to the UN, said almost 2.5 billion people do not have access to climate-friendly cooling solutions.
In addition, more than one billion people are at high risk from extreme heat due to a lack of cooling access – the vast majority of whom are living in Africa and Asia.
Standard cooling solutions, such as air conditioning, are responsible for more than seven per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If the current usage rate continues, energy needs for space cooling will triple by 2050, together with associated emissions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial, alongside the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting, Dr Al Jaber, who is also UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, urged countries to join the global cooling pledge.
“We cannot expand cooling on a business-as-usual basis,” said Dr Al Jaber.
“Without strong policy action, emissions from the sector will rise between 7 to 10 per cent from today. To solve this dilemma, we need a rapid transition to energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling.”
He thanked Dan Jorgensen, Danish Minister for Development and Global Climate Policy, and Dr Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of Science and Technology, for their commitment as Cool Champions promoting global action on sustainable cooling.
The Global Cooling Pledge aims to expand cooling to protect the most vulnerable communities from extreme heat, keep food fresh and vaccines safe, especially in the global south, small island states and least developed countries.
Dr Al Jaber said the world can provide cooling access to those who need it without undermining the energy transition.
He said cooling was a matter of climate justice for the most vulnerable states
“Food and medicine all depend on cooling. It is a topic of critical importance across climate mitigation and adaptation,” he said.
“Cooling is also a matter of climate justice – with heat disproportionately impacting lower-income communities and families.
“In a warming world, sustainable cooling is critical for reducing GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions, protecting against heat stress, enabling productivity, reducing food loss and enhancing access to healthcare,”
“We have a unique opportunity to deliver a significant, collective response to the cooling challenge via the Global Cooling Pledge.
“This pledge aims to improve energy efficiency and increase access to sustainable cooling.
“It is gaining momentum with more than 20 early supporters – including India and Denmark. But there is more to be done. I call on all countries to join the Global Cooling Pledge in the lead up to Cop28.”
Earlier this month, Dr Al Jaber outlined the UAE's four-pillar plan for Cop28 – fast-tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people and making inclusivity a hallmark of the summit in Dubai.
He set out what he called a “science-based, action-oriented” plan at a 26-nation climate meeting in Brussels.
Cop28, which will be hosted at Expo City Dubai in November, will be the first “global stocktake” of progress in limiting climate change.
Speaking in Brussels, Dr Al Jaber called on countries to update emissions plans by September to ensure they were aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C – a target he said was the “north star” of his plan for Cop28.
