Chilling prospects: tracking sustainable cooling for all 2019
From France to Australia to Kenya, 2019 has been a record-breaking year for global temperatures. As heatwaves become the norm, new research from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) shows that significant populations are at an increasing risk from lack of access to sustainable cooling, threatening a spike in global energy demand, profound climate impacts and ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goals on hunger, poverty and health. The report titled, ‘Chilling Prospects: Tracking Sustainable Cooling for All 2019,’ shines a light on the growing cooling access challenge. The report finds that public safety, health, safe medicine and food supply for 1.05 billion people in poor rural and urban areas are now at risk from lack of access to cooling. That includes lack of adequate refrigeration, access to energy needed to power a reliable fan or air conditioner and enhanced building design and materials that limit the impacts of peak temperatures.
