THE COOLING FOR ALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT

The 'Cooling for All Needs Assessment' working paper argues that traditional equipment-based projections of cooling demand are insufficient because they rely on unreliable data and ignore the actual social and community needs of vulnerable populations. Instead, it proposes a needs-based approach aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to identify gaps in human comfort, food security, and health services. The framework aims to help policymakers reduce energy demand through passive design and behavioral change, identify sustainable technologies, and align finance with outcome-based interventions to mitigate the climate and energy impacts of rising cooling demand.

• Equipment-based projections of cooling demand are considered flawed because they rely on unreliable unit stock data, fail to account for community needs, and pre-suppose technology-based solutions rather than exploring demand mitigation.
• The proposed needs assessment categorizes cooling demand into three primary areas aligned with SDGs: human comfort and safety (living, learning, working, and mobility), food and nutrition security and agriculture, and health services (vaccines and medical products).
• Passive cooling strategies and the reduction of thermal loads can potentially lead to a reduction in energy use of more than 30%, even in hot climates.
• More than 1 billion people currently lack access to cooling, which results in negative health and economic consequences.
• A robust needs assessment allows countries to develop National Cooling Plans by quantifying the climate impact of different energy scenarios and identifying the most appropriate sustainable technologies for local conditions.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2019). THE COOLING FOR ALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-11/CoolingforAll_Needs-Assessment-Working-Paper.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. THE COOLING FOR ALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT. 2019. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-11/CoolingforAll_Needs-Assessment-Working-Paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=THE COOLING FOR ALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT |date=2019 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-11/CoolingforAll_Needs-Assessment-Working-Paper.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2019cooling, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{THE COOLING FOR ALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2019-11/CoolingforAll_Needs-Assessment-Working-Paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }