Background

In a warming world, demand for cooling is rising, and with it the risks for vulnerable populations who are unable to access it today. As the global community works to deliver sustainable energy for all, access to cooling has emerged as a modern energy service that is necessary to reduce energy poverty gaps and inequalities. Rather than being a luxury, access to sustainable cooling is vital to reducing inequalities across human comfort and safety, agricultural and food needs, and health services. Based on SEforALL’s 2019 Chilling Prospects report, 1.1 billion people, of which 614.8 million living in Asia, are facing high risks due to lack of access to cooling for basic needs1 – lack of access to nutritious food, vaccines essential for health, as well as the ability to find respite from temperatures beyond limits for human survival. As recognition of the issue grows, so has the appreciation for the close linkages between access to cooling and access to energy. Those living in hot climates without energy access face serious risks to their health and productivity because they lack the ability to run a fan during a heatwave. 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), particularly SDG 7 on ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 as well as SDG 13 on climate action. The ADB has provided more than 100 million people with modern access to electricity through its Energy for All Initiative. As the Asia Pacific Hub for SEforALL, ADB, in partnership with SEforALL, is now channeling its efforts toward bridging the energy access gaps in clean and sustainable cooling, as this service is as essential as electricity in alleviating poverty and in achieving the global community’s sustainable development goals by 2030.