Participants to the first ‘Cooling Summit’ for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussed how to promote the use of energy-efficient technologies for air conditioning in tropical countries.
Co-organized by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP), Eco-Business, and the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the Summit brought together leaders from business, government, civil society and academia to consider how to sustainably meet growing demand for air-conditioning in Southeast Asia.
The rising demand for air-conditioning in emerging economies of the region could lead to a substantive increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from higher household electricity consumption and the use of potent GHGs, such as hydrofluoric carbons, as cooling agents.
While energy-efficient technologies using alternative cooling agents are available, their widespread adoption faces barriers, including low awareness or lack of financing.
