Background

The shortage of affordable and sustainable cooling solutions negatively impacts the ability to find respite from dangerously high temperatures and access essential cold chains used for storing and transporting perishable goods, such as food and medicines. Based on a 2020 report of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), more than 1 billion people globally, of which 592.7 million live in Asia, are facing high risks due to lack of access to sustainable cooling for basic needs.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored that access to sustainable cooling can reduce inequalities across human comfort and safety, and is essential to health services, and agricultural and food needs. Cold chains can be instrumental in the fight against the pandemic as many temperature-sensitive vaccines are seen as the decisive next move to get societies back on their feet and economies running.

Ensuring cooling that is affordable, sustainable, and accessible to all who need it is essential to alleviating poverty and achieving global sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as to mitigate and combat climate change and its impacts.

Innovative solutions, combined with business models and fast commercialization approaches, can provide access to sustainable cooling faster, more efficiently and sustainably.

Objective

Present trends and innovative technologies in sustainable cooling solutions that are applicable to countries in Asia-Pacific.

Agenda

Time (Manila) Activities
2:00-2:20 p.m. Welcome address from the ADB: Kee-Yung Nam, Principal Energy Economist, Asian Development Bank

Opening remarks from ADBI: Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean & CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute

Opening presentations from UK Government (pre-recorded) Dr. Peter Warren, Head of Climate Finance for Innovation, Department for Business,
Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK Government

2:20-2:50 p.m. Session 1: Understanding the relevance of innovative cooling technologies for sustainable cooling
The session will discuss the status and trends in innovative technology solutions to accelerate sustainable cooling
in the Asia-Pacific region.

  • Loretta Kathleen Foran, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • Sneha Sachar, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE)
  • Jiten Ghelani, CEO of Promethean Power

Moderator: Ms. Laila Kanji UK Government

2:50-3:20 p.m. Session 2: Innovative approaches to market-building and business models; Sustainable cooling models and regional cooperation
The session will showcase experience from national governments, development banks and development practitioners in implementing
sustainable cooling initiatives.

  • S P. Garnaik, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)
  • Daniela Schmidt, ADB

    • Presentation

  • Bo Shen, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (U.S. Department of Energy)

Moderator: Ms. Clotilde Rossi di Schio SEforALL

3:20-3:30 p.m. Closing Remarks, Alvin Jose, Principal Specialist, SEforALL
Workshop close and participant feedback

About Organizers

ADB

Since its founding in 1966, ADB has been driven by an inspiration and dedication to improving people's lives in Asia and the Pacific. By targeting our investments wisely, in partnership with our developing member countries and other stakeholders, we can alleviate poverty and help create a world in which everyone can share in the benefits of sustained and inclusive growth.

Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)

ADB Institute, located in Tokyo, is the think tank of the Asian Development Bank, an international financial institution. ADBI aims to be an innovative center of excellence for the creation of rigorous, evidence-based knowledge that can be implemented as new actionable policies by developing and emerging economies, so as to contribute to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific. It also contributes to ADB’s overall mission and operational priorities in line with ADB’s Strategy 2030. This vision will lead ADBI to continue to be a globally recognized think tank.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)

SEforALL is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to below 2° Celsius.

UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

As COP26 Presidency, the UK is committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate action to inspire ambition ahead of COP26. The UK Prime Minister has committed to double the UK International Climate Finance to at least £11.6 billion between 2021/22 and 2025/26. The UK is playing an important role in accelerating clean energy innovation through its leadership of Mission Innovation and by acting as Chair of its Steering Committee, it pledged to double its spending on clean energy innovation to £400m by 2020/2021.

Point of Contact

Clotilde Rossi di Schio, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)
Email: Clotilde.rossi-di-schio@seforall.org