Cooling plays a central role in supporting societies through the COVID-19 crisis; from protecting temperature-sensitive medical supplies and patients in crowded hospitals, to ensuring reliable food supplies while food systems are disrupted. Efficient, climate-friendly cooling could also help many struggling businesses get back on the road to profitability through significant energy cost savings. All of this, in turn, will help governments meet near-term stimulus objectives while also meeting the commitments that were made as a part of the Paris Agreement, Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are all crucial for a better recovery.
The Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP), a philanthropic collaboration active in over 50 countries, has identified six high-impact opportunities that can reduce emissions, increase job creation, and enhance economic output through the inclusion of efficient, climate-friendly cooling in stimulus packages.
- Bailouts for hard-hit sectors that support sustainable cooling.
- Cooling efficiency in the built environment.
- Resilient and responsive cold chain logistics for healthcare and food security.
- Cool retrofits and passive technologies.
- Expanding financing models to meet cooling needs.
- Public and private investment in R&D for cooling.