Access to cooling matter of health for all, not privilege of rich, says top UNEP official

New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) As India braces for a 'hotter-than-normal' summer with more heatwave days, vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and outdoor workers are at heightened risk, with potential repercussions for public health, water supplies, power demand, and essential services.

Highlighting the concerns of India's vulnerable segment, Martin Krause, Director of the Climate Change Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), told PTI Videos that access to cooling is not, and should not be, a privilege of the rich, as it is a matter of health and dignity.

According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) monthly forecast, above-normal heatwave days are expected over most parts of the country between March and May.

"Vulnerable segments of the population are suffering more from the phenomenon of extreme heat. Access to cooling is not, and should not be, a privilege of the rich, as it is ultimately related to health and dignity," Krause told PTI.

He noted that the productivity of outdoor workers declines under extreme heat conditions, and those working in the informal sector, including construction workers and street vendors, are most exposed and often lack formal social protection or insurance.

"Protecting the vulnerable requires practical and proven solutions that can be implemented," the UNEP official said, referring to measures such as heat action plans, early warning systems, cool roofs in informal settlements, fundamental worker protections, and parametric insurance.

The states and regions expected to experience above-normal heatwave days include West Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, southern and eastern Maharashtra, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of north Karnataka and north Tamil Nadu.

"Urban spaces and mega-cities in India have been experiencing severe stress caused by extreme heat resulting from climate change on the subcontinent. Solutions exist, and the initiative 'Beat the Heat' is part of the broader UN-led response to this climate crisis," Krause told PTI.

'Beat the Heat' or 'Mutirão contra o Calor Extremo' is an international effort launched by the Brazil COP30 Presidency and the UNEP-led ‘Cool Coalition’ to accelerate the deployment of sustainable cooling and heat resilience solutions in cities worldwide, turning the ambitions of the Global Cooling Pledge into on-the-ground action, according to the UNEP.

More than 230 cities across over 40 countries and 108 partner organisations have joined the initiative, including 44 Indian cities -- of which 30 are from Maharashtra and 11 from Tamil Nadu.

Elaborating on the initiative, Krause told PTI that passive cooling solutions include upgrading roofs with reflective materials, reflective panes, or roof gardens, improving window shading and ventilation, and planting trees in urban hotspots affected by extreme heat.

"These measures can reduce indoor temperatures by around three degrees Celsius and cut energy used for cooling by about 35 per cent, with the three-degree reduction achieved without switching on air conditioning, relying only on passive cooling," he said.

The UN official added that, when it comes to air conditioning, adopting energy performance standards is important to prevent a rise in electricity bills or an increase in emissions from fossil-fuel electricity generation.

During Mumbai Climate Week 2026, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the UNEP signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to integrate the global "Beat the Heat" initiative into regional urban planning.

"As 30 cities from Maharashtra have signed up to the UN initiative, it shows that dialogues at the Mumbai Climate Week are being translated into action. The next step is to integrate these political commitments into budgets, regulations, and concrete projects, which is where we currently stand," the Director of Climate Change Division at UNEP told PTI.

Discussing financial challenges when implementing solutions, Krause said that investments in passive or active cooling flow more readily when there is clear, long-term policy guidance or a stable policy framework.

He cited examples that create a stable framework and encourage investment, such as building codes, energy efficiency standards, procurement rules, and clearly defined urban design mandates at the city, state, or central level.

"In the building and urban sectors, incorporating passive cooling from the start is much cheaper and easier. Working with developers, real estate companies, and builders on new projects, integrating passive cooling design elements at the outset is far less expensive than retrofitting existing apartments, buildings, or neighbourhoods," Krause said.

He added that the additional cost, if done from the outset, is estimated at three to four per cent, but it pays off over time through savings on electricity and reduced reliance on fans or air conditioning. When asked why large-scale implementation of these cost-effective solutions is still hindered by financing, the UN official told PTI that funds accessed internationally by developing countries, including India, are never sufficient given the scale of the challenges being addressed.

"International grants for climate action are available through mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, Adaptation Fund, and multilateral development banks. But the funds accessed internationally by developing countries, including India, are never sufficient given the scale of the challenges," he said.

He added that while UNEP and other UN agencies are facilitating access to these international funding sources, the bulk of financing needs to come from private sector investments and the reorientation of public expenditures to unlock domestic funding.

According to Krause, there is growing awareness in cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi about intelligently blending and sequencing international, domestic, public, and private sources of financing to achieve scale. PTI ABU DIV HIG HIG