Over 60 countries have signed the ‘cooling commitment’ with commitments to reduce the climate impact of the refrigeration sector, which could also provide «universal access to life-saving cooling, alleviate pressure on energy networks, and save trillions of dollars by 2050.”

The UN Environment Programme (PNUMA) estimates that over a billion people are at high risk of extreme heat due to lack of access to cooling; the vast majority live in Africa and Asia. In addition, almost a third of the world’s population is exposed to deadly heatwaves for over 20 days a year.

But at the same time, conventional cooling, such as air conditioning, is a significant driver of climate change, responsible for over seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If not managed properly, the energy needs for cooling spaces will triple by 2050, along with associated emissions.

Current refrigeration systems, like air conditioning and refrigerators, consume massive amounts of energy and often use refrigerants that heat the planet. The latest PNUMA report shows that taking measures to reduce energy consumption from refrigeration equipment could lead to a reduction of at least 60 percent of the sector’s emissions projected for 2050.

The report was published in support of the ‘global cooling commitment’, a joint initiative between the United Arab Emirates as host of COP28 and the Cool Coalition led by PNUMA.

Following the report’s recommendations could reduce projected emissions from conventional cooling by around 3.8 billion tons of CO2 equivalents by 2050.