The planet is approaching dangerous tipping points caused by unsustainable consumption and production patterns. One of such patterns is the rapidly growing energy use for cooling. According to the International Energy Agency, the worldwide installed capacity of air conditioning systems has tripled between 1990 and 2016, and the energy consumption for space cooling is expected to more than triple until 2050. At the same time, access to efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all underpins many Sustainable Development Goals.
To address the challenge of achieving universal access to cooling while avoiding substantial greenhouse gas emissions, we need to identify, implement and upscale low carbon and sustainable technologies. Renewable-based cooling options are among these solutions, but their application and transformational potential remain largely untapped.
In this session, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the United Nations Environment Programme and Sustainable Energy for All joined forces under the framework of the Cool Coalition to provide an overview of the various cooling technologies coupled with renewable energy existing in the market and the experiences, learnings and challenges of countries that are implementing these technologies.
The goal of the webinar was to raise awareness on the potential of high-efficient renewable energy-driven cooling technologies, on their role in helping countries meet GHG emissions reduction targets and Sustainable Development Goals, and to call on their accelerated implementation.