Chilling prospects: providing sustainable cooling for all.

Author(s) : MILLER A., BECQUE R., HARTLEY B., et al.

Type of monograph: Report

Summary

This report is the first to define and quantify the magnitude of the cooling access challenge, including an assessment of countries facing the biggest risks, measured by extreme heat, food losses, and damaged or destroyed vaccines and medicines. The report illustrates the social and economic risks of ignoring the challenge and the enormous economic and business opportunities of a concerted effort to provide sustainable cooling. These challenges and opportunities vary by geographic location, thematic area, and financial capacity. The cooling solutions need to be affordable, energy efficient, and have low life cycle climate impact. The solutions must also be systematic, holistic, and appropriate: designing an ultra-efficient air conditioner is a critical part of solving the problem of increasing energy use for space cooling, for example, but it doesn’t help those with no access to electricity unless it is considered in tandem with a consideration of solar home systems or decentralized mini-grids. Based on an analysis of the 52 most vulnerable countries, the report shows that approximately 1.1 billion people face cooling access risks. This includes an estimated 470 million people living in poor rural areas without access to electricity and cold chains for food and medicines, and 630 million slum dwellers living in hotter-climate urban areas where electricity services do not exist, are intermittent, or are too expensive. The 60-plus people who died in Karachi, Pakistan, during a May 2018 extreme heat wave where temperatures eclipsed 40°C are unfortunate proof of these urban heat risks.

Available documents

Format PDF

Pages: 72

Available

Free

Details

  • Original title: Chilling prospects: providing sustainable cooling for all.
  • Record ID : 30025272
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Figures, economy
  • Publication: Sustainable energy for all - Austria/Austria
  • Publication date: 2018