Brazil has officially opened the process to develop its National Cooling Action Plan, known as PNAR Brazil, as the country responds to rising temperatures and the challenge of urban heat islands. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change launched the process on March 9, 2026, and work on the plan will continue in the coming months.
The plan follows a methodology developed by the Cool Coalition, an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme that promotes sustainable cooling solutions globally. According to the source, PNAR Brazil is designed as an intersectoral strategy to expand access to cooling in an efficient, sustainable and socially fair way.
The refrigeration and HVACR sector is central to the agenda. The plan is intended to integrate energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, climate mitigation through the replacement of refrigerants with low-GWP alternatives, and sustainable solutions such as shading, green roofs, bioclimatic architecture, natural ventilation and green infrastructure to reduce thermal load in cities.
During the event, officials also linked the plan to Brazil’s international commitments. Aloisio Lopes Pereira de Melo, secretary at the National Secretariat for Climate Change, said: “Brazil has a successful track record in complying with the Montreal Protocol. With the PNAR, we are strengthening our strategy not only for the elimination of HCFCs, but also for the gradual reduction of HFCs.”
The ministry said the plan is being developed collaboratively with government, academia, the private sector and civil society. According to the source, the process is intended to support concrete climate action agendas under Brazil’s Climate Plan while addressing heat stress and access to cooling.
