About 44 % of the world’s population is living in a hot climate, with only 12 % owning an air conditioning system (AC). The increase in demand for cooling systems will be witnessed mainly  in urban areas due to the increased  income-generation of city dwellers (in comparison to residents of rural areas) and  the fact that the  ambient air temperature is also significantly higher in cities due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Electricity use for space cooling in buildings, specifically in Asia, has grown and will grow rapidly over recent decades.

In some countries in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) the demand on energy for cooling has increased up to seven times since 1990. Though household ownership of cooling equipment is relatively low, continued economic development and population growth across the region, combined with an increase in extreme heat events, the demand for home cooling equipment is projected to increase in the coming decades. Policy action from all levels of government supporting the deployment of more efficient air conditioners, along with other energy efficiency measures, such as the use of efficient fans and building envelope efficiency improvements, can help drastically reduce the projected space cooling energy use. Minimum energy performance standards, labeling programmes and incentives form the foundation for progress on efficient, sustainable and affordable cooling options. 

Watch the recording here:

Energy Exchange #2: Urban cooling

In this second exchange, ICLEI and UrbanShift  explored energy-efficient building design strategies and policy approaches with regional experts. From minimum energy performance standards to labeling programmes, local governments can implement policy and regulatory tools to incentivize the transition to more energy efficient buildings that reduce the demand on cooling using innovative low-carbon technologies.

To learn more about urban cooling and how energy efficiency can help tackle it, take a look at:

Beating the Heat, by the Rocky Mountain Institute