Brazil, Italy announce new push and funding on cooling action ahead of COP30. Unsplash/Ashkan Forouzani
Brazil and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today launched a new initiative to address extreme heat through sustainable cooling – Beat the Heat in Cities/Mutirão contra o Calor Extremo – while Italy pledged EUR 2 million in new funding for the Global Cooling Pledge, supporting action on a major contributor to climate change ahead of the COP30 climate summit later this year.
“Sustainable cooling will be a top priority at COP30 because cities, climate, and billions of people depend on it. Through Beat the Heat, our goal is to turn cities into engines of adaptation, drive implementation of the Global Pledge, and make sure no one is left behind as extreme heat accelerates,” said H.E. Ana Toni, CEO of COP30.
The announcements were made in Bonn, Germany, at the first Global Cooling Pledge Signatories Focal Points Meeting. Launched at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Presidency and the UNEP Cool Coalition, the Global Cooling Pledge (GCP) is the world’s first collective commitment to cut cooling-related climate impact by 68 per cent by 2050, and to extend affordable access for all who need it.
The world has just logged its third year in a row of record-breaking heat, underscoring that extreme heat is now at the sharp edge of climate change. UNEP’s Global Cooling Watch 2023 warned that if current trends continue, rising cooling demand alone could add 6.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050, while more than a billion people still lack access to cooling to keep food, medicine and economies viable.
“Sustainable cooling is a core adaptation lever and is a course-correcting mitigation measure that still keeps us within the 1.5 °C threshold,” said Martin Krause, Director of UNEP’s Climate Change Division. “Integrating cooling in the new national climate plans – or NDCs – will be critical to ensure a holistic approach that aligns climate action with social and economic benefits,” he added.
Brazil has confirmed that sustainable cooling and extreme heat will be a headline priority at COP30 in Belém. Italy also announced new funding for the implementation of the Global Cooling Pledge through UNEP’s new Enabling Pledge Implementation for Cooling (EPIC) Facility. This new initiative which houses both a Technical Assistance Facility and a Fund Accelerator, will channel technical advice and finance to cities.
“Italy is not only advancing its national targets but also supporting international efforts to translate the Global Cooling Pledge into local action through the EPIC initiative,” stated Mr. Alessandro Guerri, Director General, Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy.
Source: UNEP
