Rethinking cooling in a warming world

[The EB Podcast] In the fourth episode of the series Tomorrow’s cities: Engineering the energy transition, we explore the potential for low-carbon cooling as Southeast Asia gets richer and hotter.

Technologies that keep us cool are among the biggest guzzlers of energy in Southeast Asia.

As the region gets more populous and more affluent, cooling systems are set to account for 40 per cent of Southeast Asia’s electricity demand by 2040.

At Singapore International Energy Week last year, Fatih Birol, president of the International Energy Agency, called cooling the global energy market’s “biggest blind spot” as the world works out how to decarbonise in the wake of a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change revealing that humanity has about a decade to reverse global warming or else face dire consequences.

Access to affordable and sustainable cooling is critical for health and well-being, especially for people living in the tropics where temperature rises are guaranteed as climate change kicks into high gear. How can we provide efficient cooling that doesn’t cost the Earth?

In the fourth episode of Tomorrow’s cities: Engineering the energy transition, Eco-Business sat down with David MacKerness, director, business development for cooling-as-a-service company Kaer, and Soren Kvorning, president, Asia Pacific at engineering firm Danfoss, to discuss better ways to keep cool as the planet warms up.

Tune in as we tackle questions such as:

  • Which technologies can curb Asia’s cooling crunch?
  • How is policy changing cooling?
  • How to build a culture of green cooling?
  • How to make businesses value cooling?
  • What’s the future of cooling in a warming world?

For more insights into energy efficient cities in the age of climate change, join us for an in-depth conversation at Tomorrow’s cities: Engineering the energy transition, a high-level forum to be held in Singapore on 28 March that addresses how to build climate-smart cities and find energy efficient solutions for food storage and transportation, green buildings and electrification in the maritime industry. If you’re interested to attend, please email Christina at events@eco-business.com with your name, title and organisation. 

Did you find this article useful? Join the EB Circle!

Your support helps keep our journalism independent and our content free for everyone to read. Join our community here.

Most popular

leaf background pattern

Transforming Innovation for Sustainability Join the Ecosystem →