Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has launched a Cooling for All initiative and Global Panel to spur action and leadership in increasing access to affordable and sustainable cooling solutions. President Jürgen Fischer will represent Danfoss, the only industrial company on the global panel.

“Cooling has a powerful influence on our life and health; it keeps our food fresh and safe to eat, helps make vaccines available throughout the world, and keeps our homes and offices comfortable,” commented Fischer. “All people should have access to these essentials. But we need to take it a step further by providing cooling in a sustainable way that tackles global warming at the same time. Danfoss looks forward to contributing our deep knowledge in this field and helping speed up implementation of energy-efficient and clean solutions.

The UN Economic Commission for Europe has estimated that, by 2050, the world’s population will reach about 9 billion — 70 percent of whom will live in cities, which equates to adding 235 cities the size of Paris. This, combined with rising global temperatures, will result in a boom in demand for cooling devices such as air conditioners and refrigerators and a corresponding surge in energy demand, which will create additional impacts on the climate.

Currently, air conditioning and refrigeration cause 10 percent of global CO2 emissions, which is three times the total emissions attributed to aviation and shipping, and still an estimated 1 billion people lack access to cooling.

In the Cooling for All Global Panel, Danfoss will work together with other high-level leaders from business, policy and academia. The panel will be led by two co-chairs: President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands, and Dr. Vincent Biruta, Minister of Natural Resources for the Republic of Rwanda. Rachel Kyte, Chief Executive Officer of SEforALL and special representative of the UN Secretary-General for SEforALL, will act as secretariat for the Global Panel.

The panel will develop a comprehensive report, which outlines recommendations and evidence for how to accelerate the uptake of solutions that create sustainable cooling access around the world. The report is expected to be published in 2018.

Visit www.danfoss.com.