As the planet heats, we need to find effective and sustainable ways to cool down. Passive cooling solutions provide a way of breaking the vicious circle of cooling-related emissions and warming. In fact, by using non-mechanical technologies, design elements, and nature-based solutions we can cool down our buildings, cities and planet without using energy.
Passive cooling can take the shape of simple technology additions – external shading, cool roofs, green roofs and corridors, urban parks – or of more structural interventions, such as improved building design and insulation, orientation and windows, and the use of biomaterials. These solutions also have great resilience benefits: reducing the urban heat island effect in urban environments increases the comfort, health, and safety of residents, with greatest benefits reaped by those who lack access to cooling.
Notwithstanding the multitude of passive designs and technologies available today, their implementation lags behind. Awareness, regulations and enabling frameworks need to be put in place to scale up their use in both developed and developing contexts.
In this session, organized within the #ThisIsCool Webinar Series, experts from the field discussed a newly published brief on “Not Passing on Passive Cooling: How philanthropy can help accelerate the climate benefits” and share insights on how we can accelerate the deployment of passive cooling solutions globally, especially as part of a green recovery and the race to net-zero.
You can download the brief by following this link.