Catalyzing climate-friendly and efficient cooling

A main objective of the Efficient Cooling Initiative is help deliver on the levers identified in the Biarritz Pledge for Fast Action on Efficient Cooling, launched at the G7 Summit in 2019. The Biarritz Pledge calls on countries to support the Efficient Cooling Initiative and aims to recruit more Heads of State and private sector leaders to build political momentum and increase financial resources from public and private actors. Key levers to speed the transition to climate-friendly and efficient cooling are: 

• Measures to improve energy efficiency (such as developing national cooling plans, using minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and labelling, and promoting use of good servicing practices, buyers’ clubs and public procurement) whose emissions reductions can be reflected in nationally determined contributions (NDCs), 
• Measures to support the simultaneous phase-down of HFCs and improvements in the energy efficiency of the cooling sector (for instance, buyers’ clubs and public procurement), 
• Higher visibility and capacity building on energy efficient alternative refrigerants and technologies,  
• Identifying and generating additional resources to assist developing countries enhance the energy efficiency of cooling equipment while phasing down HFCs (beyond activities covered by the Montreal Protocol). 

Increasing resources to help developing countries improve the energy efficiency of cooling equipment while phasing down HFCs, is one of four key campaigns identified by Efficient Cooling Initiative partners for 2021. Financing for energy efficiency, together with existing financial mechanisms for phasing down production and consumption of HFCs, is a critical gap and near-term opportunity for delivering fast action and multiple benefits.