Global Heat Forum Targets Climate Cooling Finance
Delegates in Bangkok are drafting a roadmap to close a massive investment gap for essential cooling.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Environmental
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Experts meeting at the Global Heat Forum are formalizing strategies to address extreme heat, which affected 4 billion people with 30 additional days of high temperatures between May 2024 and May 2025. The initiative seeks to bridge a $400-800 billion funding gap for climate-friendly cooling infrastructure in developing nations.
Why it matters
Cooling has long lacked dedicated government oversight despite being an essential human need during rising global temperatures. Filling this financial void is critical to preventing health crises as scientists revise the human wet-bulb survival threshold down to 30-31°C.
The Clean Cooling Collaborative is targeting a 100 gigaton reduction in cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This effort includes distributing 700 million energy-efficient fans in India and expanding access to high-efficiency cooling for 250 million high-risk people.
The players
Clean Cooling Collaborative
An initiative of the ClimateWorks Foundation focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding access to cooling.
World Bank
A global financial institution collaborating on large-scale energy-efficient cooling deployments in India.
MacKenzie Scott
A philanthropist who provided a $30 million grant to the Clean Cooling Collaborative.
The details
The Clean Cooling Collaborative, formerly the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, employs market de-risking interventions to attract private capital into developing cooling infrastructure. These strategies support the transition to more efficient cooling systems, which can reduce energy consumption by 50 to 60 percent. Efforts also include institutionalizing cooling within public budgets, as seen in the state of Rajasthan, and deploying community-based cooling shelters.
Timeline
May 2024 to May 2025: 4 billion people experienced 30 extra days of heat.
October 2026: The Global Heat Forum meets in Bangkok.
2027: Publication of new global AC efficiency testing standards.
2050: Target date for 100 gigaton emissions reduction.
The Tech Race
This effort follows the trajectory set by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, now operating as the Clean Cooling Collaborative. It marks a shift from isolated efficiency testing to a comprehensive global push for standardized cooling finance and infrastructure.
Consumers can expect more accessible, energy-efficient cooling technology as global testing standards for AC units are finalized in 2027. These policies are designed to lower costs and reduce power requirements for residential climate control systems in developing regions.
The takeaway
The transition to sustainable cooling is no longer a niche technical challenge but a major macroeconomic priority for developing nations. Watch for the International Organisation for Standardisation to release its new efficiency benchmarks in 2027 as the definitive standard for the industry.
Further reading
For more on efforts to address climate impacts, visit our /science/environmental/ section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Alliance magazine.
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