Cool Coalition addresses meltdown risks

SBCS26 was organised by the UNEP’s Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction and the Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction based at Switzerland’s EPFL university. Participants from 64 countries met for plenary sessions, workshops, and high-level dialogue.

The Cool Coalition, a UNEP-convened initiative, contributed to events and workshops including the first Technical Meeting of the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC). Cooling, energy efficiency standards, and peer learning on policy design were all key discussion topics.

Cool Coalition also convened more than 25 organisations for a dedicated workshop to focus on demand-side flexibility, a tactic that can make a significant contribution to advancing the energy transition.

For example, while residential air conditioning is currently accounting for an estimated 600GW of peak load on grids worldwide, according to Cool Coalition, only 60GW of building demand response is currently active. Closing that gap by making more buildings grid-responsive will help support grid resilience and emissions reductions.

The gap between assets and energy

During the workshop discussions, the dearth of appropriate regulation in most markets to reward energy flexibility from buildings was noted. The technology is available, however, the processes are not keeping pace.

“Grid and building regulators will need to start talking to each other if that gap is to close,” Cool Coalition notes in a media statement.

“Geography also matters. Emerging markets, where weak metering, constrained grids and surging cooling demand intersect, face the sharpest need and the steepest barriers, and getting demand-side flexibility right in those markets is where the agenda will be tested.

“Participation in the conversation also needs to broaden. Financial institutions, manufacturers, and large energy consumers should be shaping this agenda rather than watching it unfold from the sidelines.”

To facilitate progress, the Action Hub on Demand-Side Flexibility was launched. It is co-led by UNEP, the International renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency (CABEE).

The program of activities ahead includes building the hub, bringing together the parties that need to be involved and contributing to a forthcoming UNEP-IRENA flagship publication, Turning Energy Demand into a Resource.

Read more about the SBCS26 discussions here.

Shaping the global agenda

The Cool Coalition, first launched in 2019, engages stakeholders including governments, manufacturers, financial institutions, cities and industry bodies.

Areas of research and advocacy include minimum energy performance standards, lifecycle refrigerant management, National Cooling Action Plans, passive cooling, emissions reduction, urban heat adaptation and mobilising the private sector.

At COP28 in 2023 it launched the Global Cooling Pledge, a commitment to cut cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050, while also expanding access to sustainable cooling.  

Signatories to the Global Cooling Pledge include governments, sub-national authorities, businesses and industry bodies, for example, ASHRAE, City of Melbourne, Danfoss, Daikin, Engie, the International Institute of Refrigeration, National Taiwan University, the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association, and nations including Denmark, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, Micronesia, Italy, Kiribati, Morocco, Canada, the UK, USA and United Arab Emirates.

At the upcoming COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Cool Coalition and the GlobalABC will be ensuring buildings and cooling are recognised as central pillars for climate action, with a dedicated Buildings and Cooling Pavilion.

A webinar is being held on June 11, 2026, to explain how interested organisations can engage with the COP31 activities and also the Global Cooling Pledge Assembly planned for Singapore in September 2026. Find out more and register to attend here.

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