Shocking UN Report: India's Cities Overheating! Cooling Demand to TRIPLE, Emissions Skyrocket – Are YOU Prepared?

Author

Abhay Singh | Whalesbook News Team

Detailed Coverage:

A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), released during the COP30 conference in Brazil, highlights the escalating heat stress in Indian cities, particularly Delhi and Kolkata.

The report projects that global cooling demand might triple by 2050 if current trends continue, driven by population growth and rising incomes. This increase strains power grids and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

Delhi and Kolkata are identified as facing heightened risks, including increased heat-related illnesses and deaths, decreased labor productivity, and stressed water systems. Delhi is already experiencing a 4% loss in total economic output due to reduced worker productivity from heat, projected to rise. Extreme heat in May 2024 caused Delhi's electricity demand to surge past 8,300 megawatts, leading to blackouts. Kolkata saw the highest average temperature rise (2.67°C from 1958-2018) among global cities studied, attributed to loss of green spaces and water bodies.

Cooling-related greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to double by 2050, reaching an estimated 7.2 billion tons, despite efforts for energy efficiency and phasing out harmful refrigerants. In 2022, emissions from cooling equipment totalled 4.1 billion tons of CO2 equivalent globally, with one-third from refrigerant leaks and two-thirds from energy use.

UNEP proposes a 'Sustainable Cooling Pathway' that could reduce future emissions by 64%, bringing them down to 2.6 billion tons by 2050. The report acknowledges India's efforts like the National Disaster Management Authority's focus on passive cooling and initiatives like the 'Million Cool Roofs Challenge'. It also highlights specific examples such as the Infosys Crescent building in Bangalore with its radiant cooling system, trials in Palava City showing super-efficient ACs reducing energy use by 60%, and Jodhpur's net-zero cooling station.

Impact: This news significantly impacts India by highlighting the urgent need for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. It underscores economic risks from heatwaves, public health challenges, and the strain on energy infrastructure, potentially driving policy changes and investment in sustainable cooling technologies and urban planning.

Rating: 8/10

Difficult Terms: Heat Stress: A condition where the body is exposed to high temperatures for too long, leading to physiological strain and potential health problems. Business-as-usual scenarios: Projections of future outcomes assuming current trends and policies continue without significant changes. Morbidity: The condition of suffering from a disease or illness. Mortality: The state of being subject to death; death rate. Greenhouse gas emissions: Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to global warming. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a unit used to compare the greenhouse gas emissions of different gases. Refrigerant leakage: The escape of chemicals used in cooling systems, which can be potent greenhouse gases. Peak load: The maximum demand for electricity on a power grid at any given time. Sustainable Cooling Pathway: A strategy or plan to ensure cooling needs are met in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient manner. Passive cooling: Cooling methods that do not require energy, such as natural ventilation, shading, and evaporative cooling. Radiant cooling system: A system that cools a space by removing heat through radiation from chilled surfaces. Net-zero cooling station: A facility that produces no net greenhouse gas emissions associated with its cooling operations.