The session then moved into a fireside chat focused on the findings of the TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation Programme, an International Finance Corporation (IFC) initiative that has tested and validated climate-smart cooling technologies through real-world pilots across emerging markets. Moderated by Rusmir Musić, Global Cooling Lead at IFC, the discussion explored how structured field testing is generating performance data, reducing risks for adopters, and accelerating the path from demonstration to commercial scale.
Chau Tonnu, Senior Programme Manager at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, highlighted the UK’s long-standing commitment to advancing sustainable cooling as a development, climate, and resilience priority. As one of the first Global Cooling Pledge signatories, the UK has played a leadership role in shaping the global cooling agenda, both internationally and through the development of its own national Cooling Outlook. Tonnu emphasised the UK’s investment in innovation through TechEmerge and the Sustainable Cooling Fund, alongside support for initiatives, such as the Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain Solutions Programme and the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain in Rwanda. “These efforts,” she explained, “provide a critical step in translating innovation into system level impact by connecting innovators with local companies and supporting solutions to move beyond demonstration towards commercial viability.”
Zeroing in on the TechEmerge Results and Lessons Learned report, Selçuk Tanatar, TechEmerge Global Lead at IFC, walked participants through four years of field testing across emerging markets. Launched in 2019 in partnership with the UK government, the programme engaged more than 40 innovators and 51 corporate adopters, implementing around 100 pilot projects across sectors ranging from hospitality and manufacturing to agriculture and cold chains. Tanatar noted that “cooling, long treated as a background utility rather than a strategic investment, is in fact critical to economic development, with some companies spending up to 30–50 per cent of operating costs on cooling-related energy use.” The pilots demonstrated that efficiency gains are achievable, often starting with 10–15 per cent savings through improved system management alone, and rising to 80–90 per cent reductions when multiple technologies such as renewable integration, phase change materials, and smart controls were combined. Around two-thirds of pilots reported energy savings between 15 and 100 per cent, alongside significant operating cost reductions. Beyond the numbers, Tanatar highlighted how hands-on testing helped overcome conservative mindsets among adopters while providing innovators with essential real-world insights into system performance.
Building on these findings, Musić outlined the next generation of enablers needed to move cooling innovation from pilots to scale as TechEmerge transitions into a public good. He emphasised the importance of stronger incubation support for innovators, blended finance to accelerate deployment, and new business models such as cooling-as-a-service to improve affordability. He also underscored the need for transformational shifts in how cooling is produced and managed, including greater focus on passive cooling and leapfrog technologies rather than incremental improvements to existing systems. Highlighting the programme’s next phase, Musić noted, “The TechEmerge database is now a public good, allowing innovators, adopters, and investors worldwide to access evidence, case studies, and solutions that can accelerate deployment.” Alongside this open platform, new calls for solutions in cold chains, agribusiness value chains, and space cooling aim to continue connecting innovation with real-world implementation.
