Lead organisation(s): United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP-led Cool Coalition, GlobalABC, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Description:
Ensuring comfortable, cooled indoor temperatures in buildings is indispensable to our healthy dwelling. However, higher energy consumption for space cooling leads to higher GHG emissions. Since 2000, energy demand for space cooling has risen at an average of about 4% per year, and the number of residential units in the cooling operation has tripled, reaching more than 1.5 billion in 2022. To address this, passive cooling - a practice of using non-mechanical technology, design elements, and nature-based solutions to keep a space cool without using energy - is a fundamental solution. Passive cooling measures can curb the growth in demand for cooling capacity in 2050 by 24 per cent, result in capital cost savings in avoided new cooling equipment of around US$1.5 trillion to US$3 trillion (US$ 2020 value) and reduce emissions by 1.3 billion tons of CO2e.
Being convened by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP-led Cool Coalition, Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), this event discusses challenges and opportunities for adopting passive cooling solutions for public/private building projects from the political, financial and technological perspectives drawing on best practices. Participants will have the opportunity to share perspectives on how to address sustainable cooling and thermal comfort in buildings in an energy-efficient, resilient and affordable way.
The event will discuss collective actions related to passive building solutions in the Buildings Breakthrough, targeting near-zero emission and resilient buildings by 2030. The Building Breakthrough, co-led by France and the Kingdom of Morocco, under the umbrella of the UNEP-hosted GlobalABC, will be officially launched at COP28, which aims to raise more ambition to accelerate the transition to sustainable buildings for everyone everywhere. The event will also focus on the implementation of commitments related to passive cooling solutions in the COP28 Presidency’s Global Cooling Pledge - one of nine non-negotiated declarations, pledges, and charters that constitute key outcomes for the COP28 Presidential Action Agenda.
