Reducing cooling emissions...a global agreement comes to fruition at COP28

ArabiaWeather - The COP28 climate summit is preparing to announce a global framework to reduce cooling emissions, as part of broader efforts aimed at combating climate change by reducing the use of greenhouse gases because of their disastrous effects on all aspects of life on planet Earth.

The pace of emissions related to cooling processes is accelerating, and is expected to increase three-fold by the middle of the current century (2050), according to reports reviewed by the specialized energy platform.

In light of the rise in global temperatures, the use of air conditioners is increasing around the world. Consequently, many countries, including China, India and the United States of America, are demanding a global pledge that requires reducing cooling emissions by 68% by 2050, according to informed sources quoted by Reuters.

The global cooling institutes set to be announced at the COP28 climate summit represent a tough ask; As the refrigeration industry is expected to witness steady growth; This necessarily results in an increase in the controversial levels of cooling emissions.

3 times the expected increase

Refrigeration emissions from refrigerants and the electricity used in the refrigeration process now represent about 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, and are expected to triple by 2050 , as temperatures continue to rise.

Nearly 3 billion additional air conditioners will be installed around the world beyond those currently in place, said Noah Horowitz, director of the nonprofit Clean Cooling Collaborative.

Horowitz added:

“We can no longer operate as usual.”

The COP28 Presidency, hosted by the UAE, leads the Global Cooling Pledge alongside the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Cooling Alliance.

Deadly heat

With global temperatures now rising by 1.2 degrees Celsius , compared to the temperature during the era before the industrial revolution, the world is witnessing more heat waves now, as it is expected that at 1.5 degrees Celsius, hundreds of millions of people could face a week. In the year, they suffer from the deadly humid heat without using any means of cooling.

Experts said that achieving the commitment of the Global Cooling Treaty, represented by reducing cooling emissions, will require huge investments in introducing more sustainable cooling technologies, supported by government incentives and huge purchases.

Achieving the goal set in the Global Cooling Agreement will likely also require converting electrical networks to renewable energy sources, as the use of air conditioners and fans to maintain the cooling level constitutes about 20% of global electricity consumption, according to International Energy Agency estimates published by the specialized energy platform.

Lily Reahi, Global Coordinator of the UNEP Cooling Alliance, said:

“We need cooling, but it has to be more efficient and effective.”

Cooling emissions

The Global Cooling Pledge, which represents the first global focus on energy emissions from the cooling sector, requires countries to reduce cooling emissions by at least 68% , compared to the 2022 baseline, by 2050, according to the negotiated text seen by Reuters and seen by the specialized energy platform.

This will include tackling hydrofluorocarbons (HFCS) used in refrigerants, which account for the bulk of refrigeration emissions, as well as electricity consumption. The Global Cooling Pledge adds to efforts that were started under the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which calls for a reduction in Gradual production and consumption of HFCs, one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases, in cooling technologies.

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is an international agreement to gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons. These gases are used to replace ozone-depleting substances and have no effect on the ozone layer.

13 more commitments

The Global Cooling Pledge includes 13 other commitments , including setting minimum performance standards for the electricity used for air conditioners by the end of the current decade (2030) , including cooling emissions in the general climate action plans of countries, which are called Nationally Determined Contributions, and requires signatories to Global Cooling pledged to publish National Action Plans for Cooling by 2026 , and commit to supporting the deployment of highly efficient air conditioning technologies.

It has not yet been discovered which of the 40 or more countries that have been consulted so far may join the Global Cooling Pledge during the COP28 conference, which is scheduled to start on November 30, 2023, in Dubai.

A COP28 spokesperson said organizers of the Global Cooling Pledge are also still working on how to address the role played by local governments, particularly in cities, in the Pledge, to reduce cooling emissions.

The issue of private sector participation to support the global cooling pledge is also taken into account; According to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme, global efforts to combat cooling emissions could bear fruit by 2050 , avoiding the release of up to 86 million metric tons of carbon emissions equivalent.

It is noteworthy that carbon dioxide emissions related to the energy sector reach approximately 37 billion metric tons annually.

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Sources:

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