India struggles to stay cool amid global warming

Policy makers urged to study gaps in access to cooling as it may mean the difference between life & death Nine countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, which have the biggest population, are facing significant cooling risks, the study said The c

United Nations, July 17: India is among the nine most populous countries where people are at risk from lack of access to cooling as global warming continues to threaten health and climate, according to a study of a UN-led initiative.

The report also said that policy makers should immediately measure gaps in access to cooling in their respective countries, as an evidence base for more proactive and integrated policy-making.

Besides, businesses, governments and finance actors should collaborate to assess and act on the enormous commercial and economic opportunities, including productivity, employment and growth gains from providing sustainable cooling solutions for all, stated the report released by the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) here on Monday. The study, Chilling Prospects: Providing Sustainable Cooling for All’, is the first ever report to quantify the growing risks and assess the opportunities of the global cooling challenge. The report said there are over 1.1 billion people globally who face immediate risks.

Cooling underpins the ability of millions to escape poverty, to keep our children healthy, vaccines stable, food nutritious, and our economies productive. Access to cooling is now a fundamental issue of equity, and as temperatures hit record levels, this could also mean the difference between life or death, it said. The report is based on an analysis of 52 vulnerable countries in hot climates. Among the 1.1 billion people face cooling access risks are 470 million people in poor rural areas without access to safe food and medicines and 630 million people in hotter, poor urban slums with no cooling to protect them against extreme heat.

Nine countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America are facing significant cooling risks, the study said. The countries are India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Mozambique and Sudan. In a world facing continuously rising temperatures, access to cooling is not a luxury it’s essential for everyday life. It guarantees safe cold supply chains for fresh produce, safe storage of life-saving vaccines, and safe work and housing conditions, said Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

About 2.3 billion people represent a different kind of cooling risk a growing middle class, where limited purchasing options mean they may only be able to afford to less expensive and less efficient cooling devices, which could spike global energy demand with profound climate impacts, the study said. — PTI