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.
The report is an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report commissioned by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP). It forecasts the size and source of future cooling demand out to 2030, and quantifies the need to transition to more efficient, climate-friendly cooling, and maps out what this transition could look like. Driven by climate change, urbanisation and income growth, demand for cooling – refrigeration and air conditioning – is on a rapid growth trend. The EIU estimates that 4.8bn new units of cooling equipment will be sold globally between 2019 and 2030. The growing demand for cooling that our forecasts highlight must be met – and quickly. The uptick in cooling demand will come on top of an already substantial “cooling gap”. Scaling up affordable access to cooling will be critical if countries are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of food security, health, education, employee productivity and equality. The EIU’s report highlights the urgent steps that must be taken to avoid the need for cooling, shift to cooling with lower emissions, improve cooling efficiency, and protect those most vulnerable to a lack of cooling.
The National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) Methodology provides countries with a practical, adaptable framework for developing comprehensive national cooling strategies tailored to their specific priorities, resources and capacities. Developed by the UNEP-led Cool Coalition with UN ESCAP and technical partners, the methodology guides countries through three stages: assessing the national cooling context, analysing current and future cooling demand across key sectors, and translating this evidence into prioritized recommendations, implementation pathways and an actionable NCAP. It is designed to help countries expand access to cooling while reducing energy use, emissions and climate impacts, and to align cooling action with wider national development and climate priorities.
