Don’t overlook cooling, for the planet and for the people

“We cannot air-condition our way out of the heat crisis, …” This was the statement made by Inger Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, at COP30 in Belem. While heat waves are rising due to the climate crisis, the solution cannot be to simply increase the use of air-conditioning, because that would further increase greenhouse gas emissions, thus warming up the Earth even more, and be unaffordable for a lot of people as well, especially in low-income countries. Cooling demand could more than triple by 2050 in the business-as-usual model, according to Global Cooling Watch 2025, a report launched in November 2025 in COP30. The highest increase in heat is projected to be in Africa and South Asia.

The good news is that it is possible to fulfil our cooling needs while reducing our emissions from cooling substantially. This possibility is outlined in the ‘Sustainable Cooling Pathway’, which could reduce emissions of 64 to 97% if the advised measures are implemented. The report is published by UNEP Cool Coalition and is part of Beat The Heat Initiative.

The need to shift to sustainable cooling is urgent and unavoidable. What this entails includes a mix of the following :

1. Passive cooling – This refers to techniques in building design and urban planning that enable comfortable temperature without mechanical systems and using natural processes.

2. Hybrid cooling – This refers to using a mix of different methods. Combining fans and ACs create suitable temperature with low energy consumption.

3. Nature based solutions – These use nature-based processes or those inspired by nature to achieve the objectives. For example, increasing plants or creating water bodies to reduce temperature.

4. Ambient cooling – This uses the surrounding naturally cool air or water to reduce the indoor temperature. This is often useful at night and better than relying on electricity consuming cooling systems.

5. Energy efficiency – Shift to energy efficient equipment will be helpful to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as expenses.

6. Rapid phase down of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and adoption of low GWP natural refrigerants in both air-conditioners and refrigerators – the refrigerant gases used in them contribute to warming the atmosphere depending on their type.

Around 65% of the emissions cuts as per the pathway are dependent on passive and low-energy solutions, which are also more affordable. They could reduce indoor temperatures by up to 8°C and reduce household energy use by at least 30 percent.

One part of this transition is based on a shift to more eco-friendly refrigerants. Refrigerants release a variety of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) which are air pollutants which have global warming potentials many times that of carbon dioxide, but a much shorter life-span in the atmosphere. Strategies to reduce their emissions, such as phase-out of HFCs, is not only one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce warming but will also reduce air pollution. Along with replacing the refrigerants, this requires implementing Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM) which entails avoiding and reducing refrigerant leaks and improving refrigerant recovery to mitigate unnecessary refrigerant use and emissions. It also requires regulations to prevent the dumping of inefficient cooling appliances with high-GWP refrigerants, and import and export bans of such appliances.

At COP30, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition launched the Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator, a 3-year programme to help governments in Official Development Assistance (ODA) -eligible countries to drive deep and sustained reductions in their emissions. The Accelerator enables support to governments through tailored technical assistance projects. It aims to engage up to 30 countries by 2030 and to mobilise upto USD 15 lakh in grant funding.

Apart from this improvement in refrigerant technology, using alternatives like promoting evaporative coolers and fans and transitioning energy production to renewable sources are vital and part of the sustainable cooling pathway provided by the report.

The pathway is given to us, science has provided, now what needs to be done is actions as per it to achieve the desired outcomes for welfare, sustainability, health and economy. Although 72 countries pledged to reduce their cooling emissions by following Global Cooling Watch’s Sustainable Cooling Pathway, and 134 countries have incorporated cooling into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Long-term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), or other similar national plans, only 54 countries have comprehensive policies across all the three priority areas for cooling - passive cooling in building energy codes, minimum energy performance standards, and rapid phase-down of high GWP refrigerants.

Cooling is needed not only for humans directly but also for food and medicines, and for animals and plants. The Sustainable Cooling Pathway that is needed combines both adaptation and mitigation of the greenhouse gases. They are inseparable and needed to protect lives, livelihoods and health. We cannot adapt to a hotter planet. Mitigating heat means reducing it from its sources. We cannot afford to rely on the ideology of productionism – increase in production (in this case, of heat and air pollutants) and still hope to be safe using adaptation. Unfortunately, the ground reality in much of India, and a lot of other countries too, is not in alignment with this pathway, the science. Increase in concretisation, indiscriminate removal of thousands of trees, ecocides, accompanied with increase in AC use, construction of unsustainable glass buildings, air-conditionization of public transport, are opposite to what we need. Let us take the scientific advice of Global Cooling Watch 2025 as our guideline to demand the necessary changes in our cities and countries.