Every year, the world witnesses a significant rise in the frequency, duration, and deadliness of heat waves and other extreme heat events. At the same time, expanding urban populations and rising incomes drive the demand for cold chains and air conditioning, putting additional strain on power grids and increasing the risk of outages, especially during peak heat conditions.

To align with global climate change, economic development, and equity goals, we must reduce cooling-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while meeting people’s cooling and refrigeration needs. Achieving this balance helps mitigate further warming and safeguards public health and prosperity.

The Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC) and our funding and implementing partners have been leading the battle against extreme heat by reducing the sector’s GHG emissions and expanding access to life-saving cooling.

Our new Mid-Program Impact Report details the work we’ve supported over the past two years and how we’re setting a course for scaling efficient, climate-friendly cooling solutions for all.

Our approach

In 2022, we refreshed our program and rolled out a new strategy built around four areas of work:

•  RAISE the profile of — and resources for — efficient, climate-friendly cooling as a core climate mitigation, development, and equity opportunity

•  AVOID/REDUCE the need for mechanical cooling through improved building design, urban planning, and other passive cooling solutions

•  OPTIMIZE/IMPROVE cooling technologies and how they’re used to become more energy-efficient, climate-friendly, and grid-friendly while advancing deployment

•  INCREASE ACCESS to efficient, climate-friendly cooling for low-income, heat-vulnerable communities

While remaining a global program, we adjusted our grantmaking to focus primarily on four priority geographies: China, India, Southeast Asia, and the United States. Projections show that, together, these regions will account for an estimated 75% of cooling sector-related GHG emissions between now and 2050.

Adopting a collaborative approach, we have established a powerful coalition of funding and implementing partners to mobilize governments, industry stakeholders, financial institutions, and businesses to act on cooling.

Mid-program highlights

With our implementing partners leading the way, this collaborative has achieved major strides, from supporting the development and implementation of national policies that significantly enhance the energy efficiency of cooling appliances to launching community-level programs that facilitate access to cooling for those most impacted by heat. The work we’ve supported since 2022 has already made a tangible difference in people’s lives and locked in gigaton-scale GHG emissions reductions by mid-century.

Some highlights from the past two years include:

To monitor our impact across the cooling sector, we’ve established 20 success indicators covering our full project portfolio, which you can find in the report’s Results Framework Scorecard. So far, we have exceeded five targets, achieved three, and made promising progress in the remaining twelve.

The road ahead

It is inspiring to see the collective impact of a mobilized clean cooling community. This network of change-makers is creating an environment where clean cooling solutions can develop and thrive.

However, while it is important to take some time to reflect on and celebrate our successes, we must remain focused on the fact that much more is needed. Over the coming years, it is paramount that the CCC team, our partners, and the wider cooling community ramp up efforts to accelerate and scale the adoption of efficient, climate-friendly cooling solutions.

Our dedication to raising awareness of extreme heat issues and the opportunities that clean cooling presents for climate and development has never been stronger. We will continue investing in high-impact solutions, facilitating enhanced collaboration and coordination, demonstrating the compounded impact of collective action, and building a future with efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all.

Read the full CCC Mid-Program Impact Report here.