Explore our curated collection of policy briefs and technical reports that illuminate the science, technology and governance needed to cut cooling‑related pollution and mitigate global warming. Stay informed with the latest evidence and actionable insights from leading experts in the field.
Developed to address the rising demand for sustainable cooling in Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta, this Action Plan offers an evidence-based roadmap to reduce urban heat, enhance thermal comfort, and improve energy efficiency in Can Tho City. It combines microclimate analysis, building simulations, and policy mapping to deliver targeted recommendations for city planners and decision-makers. While tailored to the local context, the Plan presents a scalable framework that can inform urban cooling strategies in other rapidly growing tropical cities around the world.
As India and many other countries face intensifying extreme heat, the need for robust, city-level Heat Action Plans (HAPs) has become urgent. In February 2025, the UNEP Cool Coalition partnered with India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to co-host an international workshop focused on advancing HAPs as tools for both emergency response and long-term heat resilience.
Bringing together over 15 Cool Coalition partners and global experts, the workshop showcased best practices such as passive cooling, Urban Heat Island mapping, and the Chief Heat Officer model. Key outcomes included strengthening coordination across governance levels, scaling innovative cooling for vulnerable populations, and integrating sustainable cooling into urban redesign.
Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities was launched on November 3rd 2021 at COP26 by the Cool Coalition, UNEP, RMI, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), Mission Innovation and Clean Cooling Collaborative.
The new guide offers planners an encyclopaedia of proven options to help cool cities. 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.
The Compendium for Passive Cooling Strategies in Cambodia serves as a practical guide for integrating passive cooling strategies into Cambodia’s building sector. Tailored for architects, engineers, building owners, and professionals in construction and maintenance, it highlights three key types of strategies: site-oriented, design-oriented, and material/technology-oriented measures. Each section offers clear technical insights, practical application steps, and helpful tools to assist in selecting the most effective passive cooling options for projects. Beyond the core strategies, the compendium also includes a material directory and international case studies, providing additional support for the successful adoption of these solutions.
The Compendium was developed and published by the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia. This work was made possible through the technical and financial support of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Cool Coalition, and the ClimateWorks Foundation, whose contributions were crucial to its development.
Rising global temperatures mean demand for cooling in homes, workplaces, and across supply chains is accelerating, particularly in developing economies where the impact of extreme heat is already being felt most acutely.
Heat-related deaths are running at an annual average close to 500,000 globally, highlighting the urgency of boosting access to cooling. As well as averting fatal outcomes, ensuring populations have access to cooling – for human comfort as well as preserving perishable goods – means workers are more productive, farmers can deliver produce to market before it spoils and healthcare services can provide lifesaving vaccines.
But more intensive use of refrigeration and air conditioning could trigger surges in energy demand, putting stress on power grids and potentially generating higher greenhouse gas emissions that fuel yet more warming. That means new cooling solutions must be sustainable, based on energy efficient technology and maximizing reliance on so called passive strategies, such as making use of shade, or building with reflective materials.
These come at a cost, however, with passive design as well as new and efficient equipment for space cooling and refrigeration beyond the reach of many firms and households in developing countries. But effective interventions by governments, multilateral institutions, and donor organizations could make the financing and provision of sustainable cooling solutions in developing economies an attractive opportunity for private investors.
A new analysis from IFC and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) finds that the market for sustainable cooling in developing economies is set to more than double over the next 25 years from around $300 billion in annual demand currently. That means the business opportunity for investors will amount to at least $600 billion in annual demand by 2050, most of which will be attributed to active cooling.
The study also finds that adopting sustainable cooling solutions, as opposed to inefficient equipment that uses more power, could cut emerging economy consumers’ electricity bills by as much as $5.6 trillion over the next 25 years. It will also reduce the amount of new investment needed in additional power generation to meet peak electricity demand by $1.8 trillion.
At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), the Cool Coalition launched the Global Cooling Pledge. Currently boasting over 70 country Signatories and 80 non-state supporters, the Pledge represents the world’s first collective commitment to reducing cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050, while also expanding equitable access to cooling. It is anchored in the science of the Global Cooling Watch and lays out 14 national targets, including National Cooling Action Plans, passive and nature-based solutions, building energy codes, higher efficiency standards, and refrigerant phase-down.
This first official progress report outlines country actions and sectoral efforts taken in support of the Global Cooling Pledge. It highlights policy updates, implementation milestones, and early results from national commitments, providing a snapshot of collective momentum toward sustainable and equitable cooling. The Global Cooling Pledge Progress Report 2024 was endorsed during the inaugural Cooling Ministerial Dialogue, held at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29).
The Global Cooling Watch is UNEP's biennial publication on sustainable cooling. The inaugural edition on 2023 presents a data-driven roadmap to achieve near-zero emissions from cooling. It models realistic, high-impact pathways across key sectors and lays out three major pillars for action: passive cooling, energy efficiency, and refrigerant transition. Released in support of the Global Cooling Pledge, the report calls on governments to accelerate solutions that reduce emissions and expand access.
The second edition of UNEP’s Global Cooling Watch Report takes a deep dive into one of the decade’s most urgent challenges: surging heat, soaring cooling demand, and stark inequalities in access. Building on the 2023 edition’s analysis of global sustainable cooling trends, the report provides the scientific foundation for the Global Cooling Pledge and charts pathways toward near-zero emissions from cooling.
The Guidelines for Passive Cooling Strategies in Cambodia provide a practical, climate-responsive resource to support the design and delivery of buildings that reduce reliance on mechanical cooling while ensuring thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort. Tailored to Cambodia’s hot-humid context, the publication offers clear guidance on the selection, application, and integration of passive cooling strategies at site, building, and component levels. Drawing on technical analysis, building typologies, and real-world demonstration projects, the Guidelines bridge theory and practice and support architects, engineers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in embedding passive cooling into building design, regulations, and implementation, contributing to lower energy demand, reduced emissions, and improved urban resilience.
