![](/webp/upload-resize_cache-iblock-9ac-277_210_1-1p2r393p4qw3dojdoirr0n17c27t2c1n.jpg.webp)
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today published detailed guidance to help the world’s cities address warming, which is occurring at twice the global average rate in urban areas.
Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities, prepared with RMI, states that by the end of this century, many cities could warm as much as 4 °C if GHG emissions continue at high levels. Even at 1.5°C of warming, 2.3 billion people could be vulnerable to severe heat waves.
Launched at the ongoing UN Climate Conference (COP26) by the Cool Coalition, UNEP, RMI, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), Mission Innovation and the Clean Cooling Collaborative, the new guide offers planners an encyclopedia of proven options to help cool cities.
“Science tells us that to keep global temperatures from rising by more than 1.5°C, we need to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. Sustainable and equitable urban cooling must be a part of cities’ efforts to reach net-zero energy targets,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.
In outlining the problem, the Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities describes how cities are warming quickly due to the “heat island effect”, caused by a combination of diminished green cover, the thermal properties of the materials commonly used in urban surfaces, and waste heat from human activities.The Handbook notes that:
City officials working to make their cities cooler and more liveable are faced with a wide range of approaches – the challenge is where to start.
“This new handbook provides a comprehensive overview of ways to cool cities sustainably and equitably,” said RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst. “Based on systems-level thinking, this handbook includes actionable guidance to help cities make progress towards sustainable and equitable urban cooling, while also cutting emissions and increasing city resilience."
The guide’s 80 supporting case studies and examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategies outlined and can help cities find an approach best suited to their unique contexts.
In collaboration with the Cool Coalition, the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance, an initiative of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock) at the Atlantic Council, announced plans to disseminate the new Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities to their partner cities and counties– including Athens, Greece, Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Miami-Dade County, United States. The newly announced Athens, Freetown and Miami-Dade Chief Heat Officers will be the first to benefit from this comprehensive guide.
To meet the energy- and building-related emissions target of their Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Climate Agreement, Vietnam will also pilot the handbook in three cities, Can Tho, Tam Ky and Dong Hoi City.
Similarly, 10 Indian cities will collaborate with UNEP, India’s National institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), RMI and the Royal Danish Embassy of India to integrate cooling into their city masterplans.
Example case studies