COP28 President Calls on All Countries to Join the Global Cooling Pledge
H.E Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and President-Designate of COP28, urged nations to sign the global cooling pledge, a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the COP28 Presidency.
The pledge was announced earlier in the year, in a speech on the sidelines of the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial and the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting.
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Dr. Al Jaber praised Dr. Jitendra Singh, India's minister of science and technology, and Mr. Dan Jergensen, Denmark's minister, for their commitment to being Cool Champions and asked all nations to band together and take the pledge.
The Global Cooling Pledge, which works closely with IRENA and SEforAll, aims to increase cooling in order to shield the most vulnerable populations from extreme heat, particularly in the global south, Small Island States, and Least Developed Countries, as well as to preserve food and vaccines.
Dr Al Jaber said: "We cannot increase cooling on a business-as-usual basis, the COP28 President Designate said in his speech, reiterating his commitment to the Pledge. Without significant regulatory changes, emissions from the sector will increase by 7 to 10% from current levels."
"We require a swift switch to climate-friendly, energy-efficient cooling to resolve this problem."
"We have a rare opportunity to deliver a meaningful, collective response to the cooling challenge via the Global Cooling Pledge," he added.
This commitment intends to enhance access to sustainable cooling while also increasing energy efficiency. With more than 20 early backers, including India and Denmark, it is gaining traction. However, more has to be done.
"In the run-up to COP28, I urge all nations to sign the Global Cooling Pledge," His Excellency concluded.
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