The Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project in East and Southern Africa organised a side event at the Vienna Energy Forum (VEF) 2021 on July 7, to discuss the nexus between access to sustainable energy and clean cooling, and showcase country and regional level actions to progress on National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs). It also explored innovations in digital technologies and business models for sustainable cooling solutions that address the rising demand for cooling in the on and off-grid areas.

The event featured a presentation from Sustainable Energy for All, followed by a panel discussion including speakers from the Climate Works Foundation, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Green Climate Fund as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Center of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE). The event ended with perspectives and call to action by government and private sector representatives from East and Southern Africa.

The discussions highlighted that, in the past year alone, 50 million more people became at high risk from lack of access to cooling. Cooling and cold chains are needed to protect against heatwaves, enable food security and vaccine distribution, and to provide business opportunities to farmers and businesses. Countries are starting to see the value in developing NCAPs, and as of May 2021, 55 countries have committed to include action on energy efficient climate friendly cooling within their latest National Determined Contribution (NDCs) submissions, in comparison to 6 countries in 2015.

Speakers emphasised the importance of a holistic approach that ensure all stakeholders, government, financiers, and the private sector, are actively contributing to the implementation of energy efficient cooling plans. Strategies need to simultaneously phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons in cooling as well as highly increase energy efficiency to attain the carbon emission reduction needed.

In this context, the EELA project is collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) United for Efficiency (U4E) initiative in facilitiating regional collaboration for the adoption of energy efficient and climate friendly solutions in the East African Community (EAC) and in SADC.

Further links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI_UlofvPOE&list=PLv9J_TTNkj0a-AMaodZWyVjTfbhPS14Bz&index=20