Following the landmark launch of the Global Cooling Pledge at COP28, ministers and leaders from over 30 countries, joined by partners from intergovernmental organizations and civil society, came together at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to chart a bold path forward for sustainable cooling. The Ministerial Roundtable on Delivering the Global Cooling Pledge, organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-led Cool Coalition and the United Arab Emirates COP28 Presidency, reaffirmed the commitment to collective action on one of climate change’s most tangible challenges: the rising demand for cooling.
Speaking at the Ministerial Roundtable, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said, “The Global Cooling Pledge is not just an agreement; it’s a lifeline, with the potential to collectively reduce emissions by nearly 78 billion tonnes by 2050. With extreme heat waves and temperatures soaring, sustainable cooling is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for survival and prosperity.”
As global temperatures rise and extreme heat events intensify, the demand for cooling has never been greater. Traditional cooling systems, however, exacerbate emissions, fuelling a self-reinforcing cycle of warming. According to the 2023 UNEP Global Cooling Watch Report, which establishes the science behind the Global Cooling Pledge, passive cooling measures alone could cut cooling demand by 24% by 2050, avoiding 1.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions annually.
