Global Cooling Pledge 2026: Promoting Sustainable Cooling and Heat Resilience; Inaugural ‘Cool Leaders’ Awards Presented

The inaugural 'Cool Leaders Awards' were presented at the Global Cooling Pledge Assembly held in Singapore in September 2026. The UNEP-led Cool Coalition honored Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their leadership in protecting people from extreme heat and promoting sustainable cooling.

Role of Cool Leaders:

Singapore was recognized for its work in passive cooling and heat resilience, while the UAE was acknowledged for district cooling and for integrating cooling into global climate and development policies. Cool Leaders contribute to promoting sustainable cooling solutions through their experience and influence over a one-year period.

UNEP Cool Coalition:

This is a global multi-stakeholder network launched as an initiative of the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. It comprises diverse stakeholders, including governments, cities, international organizations, businesses, financial institutions, academic institutions, and civil society. Its primary objective is to promote energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling systems.

Global Cooling Pledge:

It was launched at COP28 (2023) under the UAE’s COP28 Presidency and the UNEP-led Cool Coalition. This is the first collective global effort to mitigate the climate impact of the cooling sector. It sets targets to reduce cooling-related emissions by at least 68% by 2050 (compared to 2022 levels), expand access to sustainable cooling by 2030, and improve the average energy efficiency of new air-conditioning equipment by 50%.

Why is sustainable cooling important?

The demand for air-conditioning and other cooling systems is rising rapidly due to increasing global temperatures, urbanization, and heatwaves. According to the UNEP, if current trends continue, the number of air-conditioners worldwide could reach approximately 5.6 billion by 2050. Therefore, rather than simply installing more AC units, it is essential to adopt passive cooling, energy efficiency, climate-friendly refrigerants, and nature-based solutions.

Significance for India and UPSC:

For a tropical and rapidly urbanizing country like India, sustainable cooling is a subject directly linked to climate adaptation, energy security, public health, and urban planning. In India, a sustainable cooling program for cities is being developed through the collaboration of the UNEP Cool Coalition and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). In the UPSC context, this topic is relevant to GS-3 (Environment, Climate Change, Energy, and Sustainable Development), GS-2 (International Institutions), and the Essay paper.