Invest in the human and institutional capacity needed for a long-term cooling transition. This includes workforce development not just for technicians but also for architects, urban planners, engineers, and policymakers. Offering cooling-focused training modules in engineering and architecture curricula, for example, will yield professionals adept in passive design and efficient system integration. Government agencies themselves benefit from training on program design and enforcement. Public education campaigns are equally important. Informing citizens about cooling choices can drive behavioural change. Outreach can leverage tools like heat-health warning systems coupled with advice on passive cooling measures during heatwaves. Additionally, sharing knowledge through international networks is part of capacity-building, enabling policymakers to learn from global best practices and peer experiences. 

As a cross-cutting policy, capacity building creates the foundation for all other interventions to succeed by ensuring skilled people and aware communities are in place to implement changes.

Establish formal coordination mechanisms for cooling policy across different government bodies and levels. This could be a Cooling Task Force or Council that brings together key ministries, departments, and even subnational representatives to align policies and avoid siloed decision-making. Likewise, integrating cooling considerations into existing inter-ministerial bodies on climate or energy can mainstream the topic.

Overall, strong coordination ensures consistent messaging, efficient use of resources, and that regulatory or incentive measures complement rather than conflict with each other.

Mobilize and channel funding to support cooling actions across the board. Cross-cutting finance policies might include setting up a national cooling fund or green finance facility that provides loans/grants for a range of cooling projects. Governments can work with international climate funds and development banks to prioritize cooling in funding portfolios. At a policy level, measures such as tax incentives or import duty reductions for both efficient equipment and low-GWP refrigerants help align market signals. Likewise, derisking instruments (loan guarantees, credit lines) can encourage private investment in novel cooling businesses. Innovative approaches like on-bill financing and cooling incentives for low-income households also fall under this proposal. 

The key is to structure finance so that the substantial up-front costs of transitioning to sustainable cooling are reduced and the $22 trillion in lifecycle cost savings from efficient cooling are leveraged to pay for the transition. Cross-cutting finance policies ensure that lack of funding does not become a bottleneck in implementing technical interventions.

Ensure that cooling is explicitly addressed in national policies such as Climate Change Action Plans, NDCs, National Energy Plans, and urban development plans. This cross-cutting step often unlocks funding and attention. For instance, including cooling in an NDC allows access to climate finance for cooling projects and signals international commitment. Cooling should also feature in National Adaptation Plans as heat resilience, and in sustainable energy strategies as a key efficiency and demand-response area.

 By integrating cooling, countries can set specific targets in those plans. Alignment at the planning level ensures that when, say, an economy-wide energy efficiency program is rolled out, cooling is prominently included rather than being a blind spot. Multilateral development banks and donors also look for such integration; it demonstrates country ownership of the cooling agenda and readiness to implement projects under larger climate initiatives.

Establish systems to monitor progress and encourage continuous innovation in the cooling sector. Cross-cutting monitoring could mean developing a data portal that tracks metrics like total cooling appliance stock, energy use, and refrigerant consumption over time to inform policy adjustments. It also means evaluating the on-the-ground enforcement of regulations and the real-world impacts. Having good data and transparency allows for accountability and course-correction in policies. On the innovation front, creating an ecosystem where startups, research institutions, and industry can collaborate on cooling solutions is vital. Governments can set up innovation challenges, research grants, or public-private partnerships in cooling. 

By nurturing innovation, countries ensure that cross-cutting goals can be met with improved, locally appropriate technologies and business models. In essence, monitoring and innovation are the feedback and forward-driving components of a cross-cutting strategy, measuring results and pushing the frontier of what’s possible in sustainable cooling.

Develop and implement a comprehensive national cooling strategy that covers all sectors (buildings, cold chain, transport, health) and all levers (efficiency, refrigerants, passive solutions, access). An NCAP typically sets long-term goals and outlines cross-sectoral actions to achieve them. It coordinates ministries under common objectives and defines timelines and responsibilities. NCAPs often also link to international commitments (Kigali, Paris Agreement) and ensure cooling is addressed in climate reporting. 

The value of an NCAP lies in its integrative approach. Policymakers should ensure NCAPs are backed by high-level political support and periodically updated to track progress.