Recognizing the need to sustainably adapt to extreme heat and the massive potential of collective action, the COP30 Brazilian Presidency and the UNEP Cool Coalition, together with a wide range of partners, have designed Beat the Heat to strengthen national-to-local collaboration and bridge gaps in finance, policy, and delivery for extreme heat resilience and sustainable cooling.
Beat the Heat/Mutirão contra o Calor Extremo is a COP30 - UNEP Cool Coalition flagship implementation drive, launched in 2025, to accelerate local-level solutions for extreme heat and sustainable cooling. The Drive contributes to the UN Secretary General’s call to action on extreme heat and helps translate the Global Cooling Pledge into local action by supporting heat assessments, planning, nature-based cooling, sustainable procurement and building code adoption at the subnational level.
The collective effort is guided by three overarching objectives that bridge national and subnational priorities. First, spotlight leadership at the country, regional and city levels and raise visibility for practical solutions. Second, identify local initiatives and plans that would benefit from targeted technical knowledge or financing support. Third, catalyze locally led and scalable action that advances national climate and development priorities while delivering several commitments of the Global Cooling Pledge.
Through Beat the Heat, countries are working with their cities and regions as part of a national-to-local collaboration to implement the Global Cooling Pledge. Participating countries, cities, and regions focus on one or more subnational cooling commitments and form a growing cohort of subnational actors contributing to the Pledge*:
Conduct urban heat risk and vulnerability assessments, and integrate them into or develop relevant urban plans or strategies (Climate Plans, Heat Action Plans, etc.)
Plan and implement nature-based and passive cooling projects and policies (green corridors, cool roofs, building codes etc.)
Lead public procurement of low global warming potential and high-efficiency cooling technologies in public buildings.
(* corresponding to the subnational commitments of the Global Cooling Pledge and two of the national commitments of the Global Cooling Pledge)
Participating cities benefit from access to curated knowledge resources (training materials, workshops, handbooks, etc.) and, where relevant, cities may also have an opportunity to submit requests for technical assistance.
Beat the Heat is inclusive and works with both Global Cooling Pledge signatories and non-signatories to advance shared goals on extreme heat resilience and sustainable cooling.
High-level event at the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), marking the official launch of the Beat the Heat implementation drive.
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High-level side event on the margins of the seventh United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA7).
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