The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Cool Coalition and EmPower, have officially launched the Roadmap for Extreme Heat Protection through Passive Cooling in ASEAN Region to address rising heat risks and their growing impacts across the region. The publication release was commemorated through a launching event held in partnership with the Department of Energy of the Philippines in Manila, on 7 April 2026.

Driven by rapid urbanisation, ASEAN could face up to 120 days per year with temperatures above 35°C by 2050, posing significant risks to human health, energy security, economic productivity, and climate resilience. In response, the roadmap was developed to promote passive cooling strategies, such as natural ventilation, reflective roofs, and high-performance building envelopes, grounded in a "Passive First" design philosophy that prioritises reducing cooling demand before applying active cooling solutions. According to the roadmap, this approach represents a practical and transformative pathway that can deliver cooling energy savings of 20 to 50%.

A multi-stage methodology combining desk research, surveys, stakeholder mapping, and regional consultation workshops was used to develop the analysis of the roadmap. Findings from the survey indicate a noticeable gap between interest and implementation of passive cooling strategies amongst ASEAN Member States (AMS), highlighting the need to address high up-front costs, limited technical capacity, insufficient awareness of available funding and incentive mechanisms, and perceived low returns on investment, in order to accelerate adoption.

The roadmap also presents key recommendations. It covers the need to align passive cooling strategies with regional documents, such as the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030 and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), incorporation of mandatory passive cooling requirements into national building codes, and more.

The launching event was attended by members of ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group, members of ASEAN EE&C-SSN Working Group on Building, and the stakeholder partners in implementing passive cooling strategies, including building designers, developers, and financing institutions.

"The Philippines is proud to lead this landmark event as ASEAN Chair in 2026. Passive cooling is not just a technical solution — it is a climate justice imperative. By embedding passive-first principles into our building codes, policies, and investment frameworks, we can deliver thermal comfort to the most vulnerable while reducing the energy burden on our grid. The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) remains committed to translating this roadmap into concrete national action," said Director Patrick T. Aquino, CESO III, Director of Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB) Philippine DOE.

“As ASEAN Chair in 2026, the Philippines is pleased to support regional efforts to advance practical and inclusive solutions to address rising heat risks,” said Dr Daniel Collin Jornales, Chair of the ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group and Chief Science Research Specialist at the Philippines DOE.

Passive Cooling Roadmap Launch

“By promoting a passive-first approach, ASEAN can reduce cooling demand while enhancing efficiency, affordability, and resilience. Ultimately, this strategy also supports APAEC’s goal of a 40% reduction in energy intensity. This roadmap reflects the region’s collective commitment to advancing more sustainable, climate-responsive passive cooling solutions for ASEAN's future energy landscape,” said Naing Naing Linn, Head of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation (EE&C) Department at ACE.

“UNEP and its Cool Coalition launched Global Cooling Pledge at COP28, which has been endorsed by over 70 countries including ASEAN countries to date, committed to reducing cooling-related emissions by 68 percent by 2050, while expanding access to sustainable and affordable cooling. Passive cooling is defined as a critical measure to achieve the target and has to be the new normal,” said Sudhir Sharma, Regional Coordinator, Finance and Economic Transformation at UNEP.

This roadmap is aligned with the APAEC 2026-2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the Global Cooling Pledge, the Declaration de Chaillot, and applies to both urban and rural contexts in the region.

Moving forward, ACE and UNEP will continue to coordinate with ASEAN Member States (AMS) to support the dissemination and implementation of the roadmap, scale passive cooling solutions, strengthen knowledge exchange, and support the integration of these strategies into national and regional policies that protect communities and foster more resilient cities.