CHILLING PROSPECTS TRACKING SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL 2020

The report identifies that 1.02 billion people among the rural and urban poor across 54 high-impact countries remain at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling in 2020. It highlights a 'productivity penalty' where heat stress is estimated to cause an annual economic loss of USD 630 billion across these countries, with significant impacts on the agricultural sector. The document also examines how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these vulnerabilities, particularly regarding the medical cold chain for vaccines and food security. To address these challenges, it proposes a sustainable cooling framework based on three needs (comfort & safety, food & nutrition, health & care), five solution approaches (protect, reduce, shift, improve, leverage), and four solution pillars (technology, services, policy, financial).

• In 2020, 1.02 billion people among the rural and urban poor across 54 high-impact countries are at high risk due to lack of cooling access, consisting of 318 million rural poor and 699 million urban poor.
• A separate risk is posed by 2.2 billion lower-middle income people who, due to limited purchasing options, are likely to choose inefficient cooling devices, potentially increasing energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.
• The lack of sustainable cooling creates a significant economic 'productivity penalty'; across 54 high-impact countries, the estimated annual economic loss due to heat stress is USD 630 billion, with USD 301 billion occurring in the agricultural sector.
• Heat stress is projected to cause massive job losses by 2030, with 73.7 million full-time jobs expected to be lost in high-impact countries, including 34 million in India alone.
• The COVID-19 pandemic created urgent cooling needs for vaccine delivery, as nearly half of vaccine candidates in Phase 1 or later trials require a -80°C cold chain, which is currently lacking in low-income countries.
• In Africa, the rural poor are the most vulnerable, accounting for 64 percent of the total number of rural poor globally at risk, while urban poor in high-impact African countries represent 43 percent of urban dwellers.
• In Asia and the Middle East, cooling risks are shifting toward cities; the number of urban poor at risk grew by 12 million between 2019 and 2020, reaching 484 million across 16 high-impact countries.
• A case study on India reveals that national data can mask sub-national vulnerabilities; for example, Rajasthan faces acute risks from temperature spikes exceeding 50°C, while Bihar's vulnerability stems from sustained high temperatures and higher rural poverty.
• Sustainable cooling is defined not as a device in every home, but as a combination of technology (passive and active), services (preparational and operational), policy (regulatory, information, and incentives), and financial solutions.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2020). CHILLING PROSPECTS TRACKING SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL 2020. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-07/CP-2020-SEforALL.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. CHILLING PROSPECTS TRACKING SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL 2020. 2020. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-07/CP-2020-SEforALL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=CHILLING PROSPECTS TRACKING SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL 2020 |date=2020 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-07/CP-2020-SEforALL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2020chilling, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{CHILLING PROSPECTS TRACKING SUSTAINABLE COOLING FOR ALL 2020}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-07/CP-2020-SEforALL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }