The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently proposed an action plan offering notable solutions to reduce emissions from the global cooling sector. Their report, “Keeping it Chill: How to meet cooling demands while cutting emissions”, underlines strategies that aim to slash predicted 2050 greenhouse gas emissions by 60%. The necessity for this initiative emerges from the alarming growth in electricity consumption and emissions due to the increased demand for cooling equipment. This report advances the Global Cooling Pledge, a partnership between the United Arab Emirates, the host of the Conference of Parties(COP28), and the Cool Coalition.
UNEP’s Proposed Action Plan for Sustainable Cooling
The action plan proposed by UNEP comprises of several solutions. Firstly, the strategy brings attention to passive cooling measures such as shading, ventilation, insulation, green roofs, and reflective surfaces, aimed at reducing energy consumption. Secondly, the plan emphasizes the need for higher-energy efficient cooling practices and technologies for various devices including fans, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Lastly, the plan suggests phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration.
Why Address the Cooling Sector?
The growing demand for cooling has led to a startling increase in electricity consumption and associated emissions. If this trend continues, projections predict that cooling equipment’s installed capacity will triple by 2050, potentially leading to emissions between 4.4 billion and 6.1 billion tonnes of CO2e in 2050. These numbers underline the urgent need to address the increasingly polluting cooling sector.
Benefits of Sustainable Cooling
Sustainable cooling practices, including passive cooling and efficient cooling equipment, can save up to USD 17 trillion from 2022 – 2050. Embracing low-global warming potential technologies can mitigate the environmental impact by decreasing HFC emissions by 50% in 2050. Decarbonizing the power grid can further reduce sectoral emissions by a significant 96%.
Initiatives Related to Sustainable Cooling
Numerous initiatives have been launched globally to encourage sustainable cooling. More than 40 countries, including India, have established National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs), with 25 others currently developing theirs. A crucial initiative, the Global Cooling Pledge, was initiated at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, gaining the commitment of over 60 countries.
Kigali Amendment and Its Acceleration
The Kigali Amendment, an international pact incorporated in the Montreal Protocol, aims to reduce HFC production and consumption by 80–85% by 2047. This reduction is expected to prevent the emissions of up to 105 billion tonnes of CO2, potentially avoiding up to 0.5-degree Celsius of global temperature increase by 2100.
India’s Initiative: India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
India has also taken notable steps towards sustainable cooling practices. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Star Rating Programme are among the country’s significant initiatives to combat the escalating environmental issues associated with the cooling industry.