Session Description:
Cooling demand is growing rapidly in all regions - driven by rising populations, increasing incomes, and higher global average temperatures. Cooling is essential for sustainable development and productivity of our economies but its growth is unsustainable with an expected tripling of cooling capacity by 2050. GHG emissions from power consumption will increase alongside leakage of refrigerant gases from cooling equipment, most of which have a much higher global warming potential than CO2. District cooling systems combined with efforts to reduce cooling load in buildings can make a major contribution to the triple strategy of passive cooling, energy efficient cooling and faster refrigerant phasedown. This triple strategy is essential to delivering near-zero emissions for cooling by 2050. District cooling also has unique benefits in enabling renewable energy use in cooling, lowering heat islands, supporting power system balancing and delivering more resilient and affordable cooling. For these reasons, local governments and industry worldwide are increasingly turning to district cooling as a low carbon model for air conditioning needs.
Convened by UNEP Cool Coalition and Tabreed, this side event will hear from national and subnational governments, industry and finance on their efforts and challenges to scale district cooling and key benefits, including emission reduction, climate and energy system resilience, and reduction of urban heat island.
Watch Live
Agenda
Opening Remarks
- Speaker: Colin Stuart Sangster, Senior Vice President, Tabreed
Video
- District Cooling (Tabreed)
Panel Discussion
Policy / Country Commitments
- Moderator: Lily Riahi, Lead, Cool Coalition, UNEP
- Panelists:
- Colin Stuart Sangster, Senior Vice President, Tabreed
- Mr. Lun Lido, Chief of Policy and Coordination Office, Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
- Dr Luong Quang Huy, Director of GHG emission reduction and ozone layer protection, Department of Climate Change, Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
- Prof. Mohamed Massoud, Chairman of HBRC, Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Egypt
- Ms. Ir. Laksmi Dhewanthi, Director General of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia (TBC)
- Dr. Phirun Saiyasitpanich, Director-General, Department of Climate Change and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency, India
- Mr. Hassen Agrebi, Agence Nationale pour la Maîtrise de l'Energie (ANME), Tunisia
Business Focus
- Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (TBC)
- David Elzinga, Principal Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank
- C40 city (TBC)
Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks
- Speaker: Shikha Bhasin, UNEP
