Climate-friendly cooling

Impressions from the IKI’s ‘Cool Up’ project, which is supporting approaches to sustainable cooling in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. 

In many parts of our world, cooling is no longer a luxury but has become a necessity in order to protect people from extreme heat, to stop food and medicines from spoiling, and to help many industries successfully go about their business. Both the energy consumed and the emissions produced by cooling systems have become a serious problem, however, creating a paradox where cooling systems actually heat the planet even further. 

As a region, MENA is particularly exposed to the impacts of climate change: it is now heating up at double the global average rate and is predicted to be around 4 °C hotter by the middle of the century. Every year, heatwaves are now causing up to 12,000 deaths worldwide and this figure is set to rise in step with the continued warming of the planet. Cooling has therefore turned into a health and productivity issue alike. Both the lack of cooling as well as the provisioning of inefficient and polluting cooling systems contribute to the loss of human life. If this problem is not properly addressed, emissions from cooling could double by 2030 and triple by 2100, driven by factors such as heatwaves, population growth, urbanisation and an expanding middle class. In the decades to come, cooling will become one of the primary drivers of global electricity demand.

Advanced solutions for climate-friendly cooling – which therefore help climate change mitigation – are already available, however. A united approach is needed in order to reverse global warming, improve the lives of millions of people and also achieve considerable financial savings. The MENA region has a decisive role to play in tackling this global challenge. 

Accordingly, the IKI’s Cool Up project is promoting an accelerated technological transition to reduce cooling demand while ensuring the early implementation of the Kigali Amendment and Paris Agreement in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In a consortium of nine national, regional and international partners led by the Guidehouse organisation, Cool Up is working closely with national decision-makers in government and the finance and manufacturing sectors to make a stand against climate change.

Unleashing the power of multipliers: Cool Up’s train-the-trainer approach generates a chain reaction in which knowledge and innovation passes from experts to other trainers with the aim of accelerating climate-friendly solutions in the MENA region.

 A case study for climate-friendly technologies: the Cool Up team is working closely with regional manufacturers with the aim of demonstrating that advanced and climate-friendly cooling systems are already available today.

Standing up for gender equality: the Cool Up project is being proactive in its promotion of women in male-dominated professions in the MENA region, so as to foster the creation of inclusive and resilient social structures.

Partnerships for future-proof cooling: the IKI is working with decision-makers in government and the financial and manufacturing sectors from the MENA region with the aim of promoting innovative and sustainable cooling technologies, and countering climate change.