The UNEP Cool Coalition has launched Cool Talks, a new webinar series aimed at advancing climate-friendly cooling solutions. The inaugural session, The Future of Global Cooling: Insights, Challenges & Priorities, took place on 5 March 2025, focusing on reducing emissions while ensuring equitable access to cooling.
Moderator Lily Riahi, Global Coordinator of the UNEP Cool Coalition, emphasized the importance of integrating cooling into global climate strategies. “We want to socialize the importance of the cross-cutting work that cooling necessitates,” she said, referencing the Global Cooling Watch 2023 and the upcoming Global Cooling Watch 2025 reports.
In the panel discussion, Dr. Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at Oxford University, stressed that while awareness of sustainable cooling is growing, it remains underrepresented in national climate policies. She urged countries to integrate cooling into their third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0). “Policies alone are not enough,” she stated. “They must be backed by enforcement, investment, and a clear recognition that sustainable cooling is central to both adaptation and mitigation.”
Ray Gluckman, Director of Gluckman Consulting and lead author of Global Cooling Watch, highlighted the rising demand for cooling. He noted that global cooling equipment stocks are projected to increase 2.8 times by 2050, but efficiency measures could reduce cooling loads by 24%. “Near-zero emissions from cooling are possible by 2050,” he said, “but only if governments and industries act decisively now.”
From a national perspective, Hubert Nsoh Zan, Assistant Manager at the Ghana Energy Commission, discussed Ghana’s implementation of the Global Cooling Pledge, which aims to cut cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050. He cited Ghana’s green public procurement initiative as a step toward market transformation. “Cooling policy must be mainstreamed across agencies, not left to a single sector,” he said.
On the financial front, Rusmir Musić, Global Cooling Lead at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), pointed to the US$332 billion annual investment opportunity in sustainable cooling by 2050. He emphasized the importance of aligning finance with policy and technology. “Cooling success depends on integrating finance, policy, and technology to create the right enabling environment,” he noted.
Omar Abdelaziz, Assistant Professor at the American University in Cairo, discussed the need for robust metrics to track cooling commitments. He warned that inconsistencies in regulation interpretation could lead to unreliable data. “Without standardized metrics and transparency, we risk making pledges without real accountability,” he said.
During the Q&A session, panelists addressed financial hurdles, including on-bill financing and pay-as-you-go models for energy-efficient cooling. They also discussed phasing out electricity subsidies that distort market incentives.
Axum Teferra, Senior Associate Director at Clean Cooling Collaborative, closed the event by highlighting the Global Cooling Watch 2025 as a critical tool for guiding future policies. “Achieving near-zero cooling emissions is not just about technology - it requires a coordinated, multi-stakeholder effort,” she stated.
The Cool Talks series continues on 20 March 2025 with Cooler Finance: Sustainable Space Cooling for All, which will explore financing models to scale climate-friendly cooling solutions worldwide.