The Cool Heating Coalition – a network of European NGOs and think tanks – has partnered with Italian MEP Dario Tamburrano (of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy political group) to host a high-level event on sustainable cooling at the European Parliament on June 24.
The session – “Keep your cool: sustainable solutions for a warming continent” – will bring together policymakers, industry experts and members of civil society to explore how Europe can ensure its buildings and cities are resilient against extreme heat. Discussions will focus on policy coordination, urban planning, building-level actions and cooling technologies, including natural refrigerants.
The where and when: The in-person event will take place in Room Spaak 7C50 at the European Parliament in Brussels.
- The session will run from 10 am to 12 noon and a picnic reception will follow in Square de Meeûs until 2:30 pm. Interested participants must register to attend.
Program highlights: After opening remarks from Tamburrano and the Cool Heating Coalition, member organizations will present on a range of sustainable cooling solutions.
- The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) will examine issues surrounding HFCs, the opportunities presented by natural refrigerants and the barriers hindering their wider adoption.
- Swedish component manufacturer Alfa Laval will look at the benefits of district cooling, highlighting existing examples and exploring policy recommendations for broader deployment.
- The session will conclude with a plenary debate about enabling sustainable cooling policies and best practices.
European cooling demand: With heat waves growing in frequency and intensity, the demand for cooling in Europe is surging.
- The EU is expected to have more than 275 million air-conditioning units installed by 2050.
- Cooling-related energy use in Europe increased by 8–9% between 2020 and 2021.
- This growing demand must be met with sustainable solutions, the Coalition emphasized. Key EU policies – such as the F-gas Regulation, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – are already driving momentum toward more efficient and climate-friendly cooling.
Quotable: “A third of the climate impact of cooling systems is attributable to the highly climate damaging refrigerant gases used,” explained Adam Aucock, Climate Campaigner at the EIA. “With an updated regulation passed in 2024, Europe is leading the phase out of HFCs, but we must avoid the PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances] alternatives promoted by the chemicals industry and move toward truly sustainable options like natural refrigerants. Already there is a range of simple, low-cost policy options to support widespread adoption.”
