Recent developments on European and international level showcase that cooling is no longer a ‘forgotten’ sector on the way towards carbon neutrality. With demand set to grow in the coming decades, and being essential for health, fresh and safe food, through to comfort and well-being, cooling contributes to many Sustainable Development Goals. EPEE, the voice of the heating and cooling industry in Europe, is committed to provide and promote sustainable solutions that are fit for the future, demonstrating the industry’s value to contribute to carbon neutrality.
At the UN Climate Action Summit, EPEE – along with the activities of the recently launched UN Environment Programme’s Cool Coalition – published a pledge on the cooling industry’s commitments on sustainable cooling. Andrea Voigt, EPEE’s Director General, stated, “Cooling does not suffer from a lack of innovation or sustainable technologies. There are many efficient and sustainable solutions readily available that are only waiting to be scaled up and deployed. They are not just limited to the product level but are based on an integrated approach to cooling and heating in individual buildings up to entire cities. Our toolbox includes many solutions from heat recovery, thermal energy and heat pumps through to demand side flexibility providing stability to the grid as we move to renewable energy, and many more.”
Voigt added, “Whether it was at the Climate Summit in New York or at the EU’s R&I Days in Brussels, there was no doubt that this message, our message, is not an isolated one: there is an overwhelming consensus, across industries, that solutions and technologies are generally available to meet the 1.5C target. It’s not a question of technological innovation. It’s a question of reaching the people. The gap between science, policy and people is huge and needs to be closed as a matter of urgency.”