From Commitments to Action: Cool Coalition Steering Committee Sets Path for 2025–2026

In a year marked by growing momentum for sustainable cooling, the newly-constituted Cool Coalition Steering Committee convened on 3 December 2024 for its introductory call, setting the stage for its work through 2026. The meeting came on the heels of the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the Cool Coalition’s presence put a spotlight on the urgent need for climate-friendly cooling. 

“We’ve succeeded in placing cooling on the global agenda. Now it’s time to deliver,” noted Gulnara Roll, Head of the Cities Unit at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as she opened the Cool Coalition Steering Committee. Her remarks set a determined tone for the session, urging members to move from advocacy to implementation. 

Axum Teferra, Senior Associate Director of the Clean Cooling Collaborative at the ClimateWorks Foundation, welcomed her fellow Executive Committee Members: 

• Andrea Voight, Head of Global Climate Affairs at Danfoss Climate Solutions;

• Brian Dean, Head of Energy Efficiency and Cooling at Sustainable Energy for All, represented by Ben Hartley, Programme Manager at Sustainable Energy for All; and

• Graeme Maidment, Co-lead at the United Kingdom’s (UK) Mission of Innovation.

The Steering Committee acts as the core governance body of the Cool Coalition, providing strategic direction and oversight. Representing diverse regions, sectors, and expertise, including governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, and academia, reflects the breadth of the global cooling community. The Steering Committee is tasked with guiding the Workplan and Strategy, endorsing key initiatives, and fostering progress toward the Cool Coalition’s goals of advancing sustainable cooling as part of global climate action.

The meeting began with a review of outcomes from COP29 where the Cool Coalition’s presence brought cooling into sharp focus during events held at the Buildings and Cooling Pavillion, and the Ministerial Roundtable Delivering on the Global Cooling Pledge. Among others, at the Ministerial Roundtable Grenada became the 72^nd Signatory to the Global Cooling Pledge, alongside an additional fifteen cities joined as subnational Signatories. Moreover, the UK announced a $15 million pledge in funding for sustainable cooling innovations, and Brazil was named Co-chair of the Global Cooling Pledge Contact Group. Additionally, the 2030 Global Cooling Pledge Implementation Strategy and the 2024 Annual Global Cooling Pledge Progress Report were adopted, setting a clear framework for reducing cooling-related emissions and advancing implementation globally.

The focus of the Steering Committee Meeting then shifted to future priorities, as Shikha Bhasin, Senior Advisor to the UNEP Cool Coalition, presented the 2025–2026 Workplan. She outlined goals to enhance actionable knowledge, identify transformative projects, and address key challenges, such as integrating cooling strategies into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and mobilizing additional Signatories to the Global Cooling Pledge. The UNEP Cool Coalition aims to prioritize high-impact areas, support the development of National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs), and drive political momentum through a robust and collaborative strategy.