Sustainable cooling ‘toolbox’ launched at COP24

Last week (12 December) at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 24), in Katowice, Poland, the University of Birmingham, the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and the UK government launched an online resource site ('toolbox') dedicated to sustainable cooling: www.clean-cooling.ac.uk.

“Cooling is essential to our modern society and one of the biggest threats to our planet,” said Professor Toby Peters, Professor of Cold Economy, University of Birmingham. “Ever-increasing demand for cooling will result in spiralling energy usage with a potentially disastrous environmental impact, if left unchecked.”

AC electricity consumption currently accounts for 14% of total energy use in the US and more than 50% in the Middle East, according to the Clean Cooling website. The online resource explains why cooling is important and provides tools for policymakers, buyers of cooling equipment and the public to solve “spiralling energy usage” from the air-conditioning and refrigeration industry. 

NatRef innovators highlighted 

The online resource also provides a list of ‘Innovative Technology Companies,’ which include many producers of natural refrigerant equipment.

enEX and Green & Cool, CO₂ transcritical-based rack manufacturers, made the list, along with Viessmann for its EsyCool Green (hydrocarbon-based reversible heat pump and energy storage system) and CAREL for its Internet of Things (IOT) systems. 

Besides the online tools, the Clean Cooling website also launched a new report in Katowice – the Global Clean Cooling Landscape Assessment (a collaboration between industry, government, finance, NGO and academic experts from 12 countries, alongside the University of Birmingham, financed by K-CEP).

“Our Clean Cooling Landscape Assessment shows where investment can create impact. It will help to break down barriers to deploying sustainable cooling and help investors to assess technologies and solutions,” said Peters (who is also on author of the report).

The report focuses on the provision of cooling for all. “More than one billion people urgently need cooling to meet basic living requirements – access to food and essential vaccines, as well as the ability to find respite from temperatures beyond the limits for human survival,” said Peters. “We must deliver clean and sustainable cooling; tackling climate change and toxic air pollution by adopting zero-emission technologies.”