‘World-first’ cooling commitment launched at COP28 and signed by 64 countries pledges 68% cut in cooling emissions by 2050
A pledge to cut emissions from cooling systems around the world, officially unveiled at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, has been hailed as an important step in underlining the importance of cooling to the journey to net zero.
The Global Cooling Pledge, which has been signed by more than 60 countries so far, including the UK and the US, calls for a 68% cut in cooling emissions by 2050 (based on 2022 levels) and is claimed to be the world’s first collective commitment by the global cooling industry. The US sent John Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change to underline its commitment.
The pledge, organised by COP28 host, the United Arab Emirates and the Cool Coalition, part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is viewed as essential to tackle the rising use of air conditioning as global temperatures rise.
UNEP estimates that more than 1 billion people are at high risk from extreme heat due to a lack of cooling access – the vast majority living in in Africa and Asia – and it estimates that electricity use for cooling, currently accounting for 20 per cent of global consumption, could double by 2050.
The UK has played a key role in creating and mobilising the pledge, with Andre Neto Bradley and Prof Graeme Maidment of the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero instrumental in working with UNEP and COP28 organisers the United Arab Emirates. UK Minster for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart underlined the commitment in a speech in Dubai.
Graham Stuart said:
“Across the world…cooling systems have become a fundamental part of modern life, supporting everything from food security to vaccine delivery. So, it’s no surprise that they use around a fifth of all the electricity produced and account for some 7% of man-made emissions. But as the planet’s temperature rises, our appetite for cooling will too. Coordinated action is vital if we are to keep the 1.5 deg C reduction within reach. That’s why the UK is proud to be among the first to sign up to the Global Cooling Pledge.”
He stressed that co-operation amongst countries was essential and noted that the UK had made significant progress.
He said:
“The UK is leading the charge: through official development assistance: we have funded the Africa Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and the Cold Chain, a one-of-a-kind facility; and we established the £1bn Ayrton Fund to support R&D to accelerate the clean energy transition involving sustainable cooling in developing countries…”
He also announced that following the recent extension to the £170m Clean Energy Innovation Facility, the UK and International Finance Committee have launched a new Fund withup to £20m dedicated to sustainable cooling.
He added:
“Cooling is a hot topic and we are doing everything we can to mitigate the impact. I encourage everyone to sign the pledge and to become pioneers in a new era of sustainable, efficient cooling.”
UNEP published its Global Cooling Watch 2023 report in parallel to the pledge: Keeping it Chill: How to meet cooling demands while cutting emissions outlines actions to take in passive cooling strategies — such as insulation, natural shading, ventilation and reflective surfaces – alongside higher energy efficiency standards and a rapid phasedown of climate-warming HFC refrigerants.
Following the report’s recommendations could reduce the projected 2050 emissions from business-as-usual cooling by around 3.8 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent, UNEP added.
These measures would have a significant impact: allowing an additional 3.5 billion people to benefit from refrigerators, air conditioners or passive cooling by 2050; reducing electricity bills for end users by US$1 trillion in 2050; and reducing peak power requirements by between 1.5 and 2 terawatts (TW) – almost double the EU’s total generation capacity today, COP28 organisers said.
John Kerry (above) welcomed the Pledge and also called on the countries who haven’t yet ratified the Kigali Amendment to phase out HFCs to do so urgently. He said:
The Pledge calls on those who haven’t yet ratified Kigali to do so. I congratulate the UAE for doing this at this COP28 meeting and I call politely but firmly on everyone else to do so. It is life or death and it is not a complicated way of making a difference.
He added that this was a chance to make a significant difference to cooling emissions:
Global warming is happening faster than we all imagined and so with the Pledge we want to lay out a pathway to reduce cooling related emissions across all sectors and to increase access to sustainable cooling…Implementing this pledge actually accelerates Kigali. Extreme heat is now the deadliest weather event in my country and others…At this stage it is not excusable not to have everybody with us. There are people all over the world who depend on us…Let’s band together and be the crusaders. We have an ability to save lives and to do this on a much faster basis. Shame on us if we don’t take the opportunity.” .
