Cooling is shaping up to be a hot topic at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), November 30, in Dubai. According to the COP28 President, Dr Sultan al Jaber, “We have a unique opportunity to deliver a significant collective response to the cooling challenge,” and the time to act is now.
In recognition of the need for urgent and collaborative action on cooling, some 80 cooling-related sessions are scheduled to take place across the two weeks. Not only has the UN Environment Programme’s Ozone Secretariat curated a program full of interesting sessions at its Montreal Protocol Pavilion, but there will also be a number of other cooling events taking place as part of the official COP28 program and at other pavilions.
Top of the cooling agenda is the launch of the Global Cooling Stocktake report and the Global Cooling Pledge on December 5, the conference’s official Cooling Day.
The Global Cooling Stocktake, which will be debuted at a press conference in the UN Climate Change Media Zone on December 5, will shine a light on the projected global growth in the number of air conditioners and refrigeration equipment and the additional energy use and related emissions they will cause. It will also detail where we are in terms of the global transition to more sustainable cooling. The report will look at the gap between “business as usual” and the goal of achieving clean cooling for all and identify how we can bridge it.
Where the Stocktake looks at the past and present, the Global Cooling Pledge – which will be launched by the COP28 Presidency at a ministerial event on December 5 - looks to the future. It calls on governments and other key stakeholders to commit to action on sustainable cooling, such as accelerating the phasedown of HFC refrigerants, developing a national cooling action plan, establishing increasingly ambitious minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for cooling appliances, and more.
Other key events
- Tracking the Cool Path: Data for Sustainable Cooling – 12 pm, December 2 at the Montreal Protocol Pavilion (The Cool Coalition and SEforALL)
- Global Collaboration for Innovation and Sustainable Cooling: Solutions for Market Transformation – 11:30 am, December 4 in SE Room 8 (NRDC, NEDO, and Griha Council)
- Climate Resilience for All launch – 7 pm, December 4 (Climate Resilience for All)
- The Cool Move! Cold Chain investments in emerging markets to reduce Food Loss and waste – 6 pm, December 5 at the Montreal Protocol Pavilion (GFCCC, the Cool Coalition, the MLF, and partners)
- First Movers County Spotlight – 11:30 am, December 6 at the SDG 7 Global South Pavilion (SEforALL and the Cool Coalition)
- Sustainable Food Systems Futures – 1:15 pm, December 6 in SE Room 8 (Viet Nam, Columbia University, and SACAU)
- Strengthening the ozone treaty to secure significant greenhouse gas emission reductions into the future – 12 pm, December 8 at the Montreal Protocol Pavilion (EIA)
- Energy Efficiency Outlook to 2100 – 2 pm, December 8 at the Montreal Protocol Pavilion (GFCCC, the Cool Coalition, AHRI, and UNEP Ozone Secretariat)
- This is Cool Award Ceremony for Youth Innovators – 2:30 pm, December 8 at the SDG 7 Global South Pavilion (SEforALL)
- Accelerating the HFC phasedown – Examples and Lessons learnt – 10:45 am, December 9 at the Montreal Protocol Pavilion (EIA)
- First Movers: Cities Leading from the Front on Sustainable Cooling – 11:30 am, December 9 at the SDG 7 Global South Pavilion (SEforALL and the Cool Coalition)
- Improving rural livelihoods with efficient cold chain and cooling appliances – 9 am, December 10 at the SDG 7 Global South Pavilion (SEforALL, CLASP, BASE, and the World Bank)
- Leapfrog to a sustainable agricultural cold chain in low-income economies – 10:45 am, December 10 at the Montreal Protocol Pavilion (IIR)
- Cooling a warming world: Sustainable cooling challenges and opportunities in the global south – 11:30 am, December 10 in SE Room 5 (EIA and CEEW)
A full list of cooling-related events at COP28 can be found here.
Source: www.cleancoolingcollaborative.org
