Over 60 countries sign Global Cooling Pledge
5th December 2023
UAE: Sixty-three countries are reported to have signed up to the Global Cooling Pledge which was launched today at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
The Global Cooling Pledge is a joint initiative between the United Arab Emirates as host of COP28 and the UNEP-led Cool Coalition.
It aims to reduce cooling-related CO2 emissions by at least 68% by 2050, compared to 2022 levels. This is equivalent to a saving of 78 billion tonnes of CO2e.
The list of signatories has not yet been published, and others are still expected to sign, but it is reported that signatories include the United States, UK, Canada and Kenya.
The pledge commits countries to making significant investments to transition towards sustainable cooling technologies. Proposed measures include a call for greater energy efficiency, better building codes, nature-based solutions and faster HFC phase down where possible. At the same time it intends to improve access to cooling for populations to mitigate heat stress, enabling productive work, reducing food loss and enhancing healthcare.
Specifically, the signatories commit to support a move to increase the global average efficiency rating of new air conditioning equipment by 50% by 2030 at the latest, to publish a national cooling action plan and establish national model building energy codes that incorporate measures such as passive cooling and energy efficiency strategies
Welcoming the commitments, the Environmental Investigation Agency’s UK climate campaign leader Clare Perry said: “Sustainable cooling is fundamental to climate mitigation, adaptation and our sustainable development goals.”
Perry maintained that coordinated and ambitious global action to achieve sustainable cooling was long overdue and added: “We expect a robust and transparent governance structure to ensure accountability and early implementation and we expect the pledge to be strengthened over time. Otherwise, it’s just empty promises.”
Jürgen Fischer, president of Danfoss Climate Solutions, said: “The commitments made by governments through the Global Cooling Pledge are a brave step, but now we must see them take action, implement the technologies readily available today and spread sustainable, energy efficient, and climate friendly cooling technologies around the globe. Action is needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C.”
The Global Cooling Pledge and its commitments can be viewed and downloaded here.
