The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its Global Cooling Watch 2025 report, at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

About the Global Cooling Watch Series

• The report, published by UNEP in collaboration with the Cool Coalition, aims to assess global cooling demand, emissions, and efficiency trends and propose pathways for sustainable cooling.

Key Findings of the Report

• Cooling demand: Installed global cooling capacity may rise from 22 TW (2022) to 68 TW (2050) under Business-as-Usual (BAU) driven by population growth, rising incomes, urbanisation, and more frequent extreme heat events.
• Cooling emissions: Cooling-related emissions could double from 4.1 Gt CO₂e in 2022 to 7.2 Gt CO₂e by 2050, despite efficiency improvements.
• Extreme heat: Heatwaves now the deadliest climate-related hazard; Urban heat islands add 5–10°C, amplifying cooling needs.
• Equity Challenge: Over one billion people currently lack access to cooling, a figure projected to triple by 2050 if sustainable measures are not implemented.
  • The most vulnerable groups include women, elderly populations, and smallholder farmers, particularly in Africa and South Asia.

Sustainable Cooling Pathway

UNEP proposes a Sustainable Cooling Pathway that could:

• Reduce emissions by 64% by 2050.
• Save USD 43 trillion in avoided electricity and grid investments.
• When coupled with rapid decarbonisation of the power sector, it could cut cooling emissions by 97%, approaching net-zero by mid-century.

Key Components of the Pathway

• Passive Cooling Measures: Urban shading, ventilation, reflective building materials, and green infrastructure (trees, parks, green roofs).
  • It can reduce indoor temperatures by up to 8°C and cut household energy use by 30%.
• Low-Energy and Hybrid Systems: Pairing fans with energy-efficient air conditioners for optimized performance.
• High-Efficiency Equipment: Adoption of next-generation cooling technologies; Accelerated phase-down of HFC refrigerants under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

Policy Recommendations

• Cooling as a Public Good: Treat cooling and heat protection as essential infrastructure, similar to water, energy, and sanitation. 
  • Integrate sustainable cooling into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Urban planning, building codes, and public health frameworks.
• Urban Cooling Strategies: Empower local authorities to use trees, water bodies, reflective materials, and ventilated building designs to reduce city temperatures by up to 25°C.
• Financial Architecture Reform: Redirect climate finance and urban development funds to support sustainable cooling infrastructure in developing countries.

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Initiatives taken by India

• India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP, 2019): First national-level cooling strategy in the world; aims to cut cooling demand by 20–25% and refrigerant use by 25–30% by 2037–38.
• National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE): Promotes efficient industrial cooling and energy-saving technologies.
• Eco-Niwas Samhita (Building Code), 2018: Mandates thermal comfort standards and passive design for residential buildings.
• Cool Roof Programme (Telangana, 2023): To reduce urban heat and cooling energy demand by promoting widespread adoption of high-reflectance cool roofs.

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