19 July 2017: Cooling needs are projected to increase with rising temperatures and a growing and more affluent global population. This will lead to higher energy demand for cooling and increased risk of emitting cooling agents such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs). To reduce these emissions, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) has launched the ‘Cooling for All’ initiative.

The initiative aims to embed strategies to satisfy growing cooling demands into the global clean energy transition. It will create a direct intersection among the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Montreal Protocol’s Kigali Amendment on the phasing down of HFCs.

Among other actions, the initiative will create a global panel bringing together leaders from government, academia, civil society, business and finance to develop a report providing the evidence and suggested solutions towards accelerating the uptake of “superefficient” cooling solutions.

Funded by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, the initiative will convene its first panel meeting in September 2017 in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week NYC. It is expected to launch its report by the end of 2018. [SE4ALL Press Release]