Future of cooling
Overview
The Future of Cooling programme focuses on understanding and shaping sustainable cooling solutions, prioritising passive and less energy-intensive technologies to protect people and prepare countries for extreme heat events.
For billions of people in developing countries cooling is vital for daily comfort, and as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, keeping cool is becoming increasingly important in developed countries. The energy needed for air conditioning is likely to triple by 2050, potentially driving up greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating the problem it is designed to alleviate.
Our research is led by Associate Professor Radhika Khosla from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and Associate Professor Malcolm McCulloch of the Energy and Power Group in the Department of Engineering Science. The programme was established in October 2019 to bring together the principles, policies, and practical tools to:
- Create new and more sustainable cooling-related policies through close consultation with decision-makers and policy influencers.
- Analyse new technologies to assess how they meet rising urban energy consumption needs, especially in fast-growing emerging economies.
- Inform governments on how best to prepare for extreme heat events through prioritising passive and less energy-intensive technology, while shifting the trajectory of cooling growth towards sustainable options.
- Help to prevent the cycle of rising temperatures, unprecedented demand for energy-intensive cooling, and increased global warming.
- Promote human-based behavioural and cultural adaptive strategies.
Our work
From air conditioning, fans, and non-energy-dependent passive cooling techniques, we are examining three critical, inter-related aspects:
- Transition to technologies and cooling cultures and behaviours that limit energy demand
- The implications of severe heat for morbidity, and the potential to reduce negative health effects
- Mapping unaccounted-for impacts of the global cooling production network, including refrigerant gases
Our map-based decision tool will identify localised cooling requirements in light of increasing temperatures and heatwaves caused by climate change. We’re exploring how the demand for cooling will vary demographically and geographically in the future, and the range of locally-relevant sustainable cooling solutions for the 1.5 and 2 degrees C of warming scenarios.
We are investigating the environmental, economic and social sustainability of different options. Crucially, in addition to suggesting optimised design, we aim to extract context-specific policy recommendations on how governments can best incentivise, govern and regulate low-carbon and effective cold chains.
Non-technical solutions also play an important role in cooling, particularly in policy and research focused on thermal comfort in urban heat islands. Our work looks at non-energy intensive, behavioural cooling adaptations such as changes to sleeping and working patterns, and drinking and eating specific foods.
Impact
In our first 18 months we have...
- Published 21 peer-reviewed academic papers, press articles, and policy papers including the cover story in Nature Sustainability, March 2021, Cooling for Sustainable Development
- Co-authored the Climate Action Pathway for Net Zero Cooling which lays out a vision for action to 2050 and details the main milestones necessary to fully implement the Paris Agreement.
- Drafted a UK Parliament POSTnote, published online, to help inform policy on sustainable cooling and decarbonisation across both UK Houses of Parliament.
- Contributed to the Cool Coalition Working group’s Sustainable Cooling for Cities Handbook.
Education & engagement
Leading academics in the Future of Cooling programme play a vital teaching role on the Smith School’s MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment, helping to train the next generation of thought leaders in the transition to net-zero.
Associate Professors Khosla and McCulloch both sit on the examinations board of the MSc inEnergy Systems (Department of Engineering Science).
We are developing several executive education initiatives on climate action, working with corporations and business leaders to encourage responsible decision-making, and to shape the market now and in the future, focused on the areas that can deliver a sustainable future.
Autumn 2021 webinar series
- 13 September 2021: Jim Maguire and Richard Matsui talk: Finance, insurance and sustainable cooling
- 20 September 2021: Janet Stephenson & Russell Hitchings talk: Social Interactions and Cooling Cultures
- 27 September 2021: Iain Campbell & Diana Ürge-Vorsatz talk: Cooling Technology and Innovation
- 04 October 2021: Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu & Toby Peters talk: Models for Sustainable Cold Chains
- 11 October 2021: Martin Dieryckx & Dave Mackerness talk: Circular Cooling Economy
- 18 October 2021: Amory Lovins & Madeleine Edl talk: Infrastructure Design for Sustainable Cooling
- 25 October 2021: Tracey Crowe & Kate Hughes talk: Cooling for Climate Action
Oxford Martin School staff
- Malcolm McCulloch | Director
- Rafael Perera | Professor of Medical Statistics
- Francois Cohen | Oxford Martin Fellow
- Antonella Mazzone | Oxford Martin Fellow
- Nicole Miranda | Oxford Martin Fellow
- Gemma Watson | Project Manager
- Giovani Palafox-Alcantar | Oxford Martin Fellow
- Jesus Lizana | Marie Curie Fellow
Latest news
Britons Warned of ‘Serious’ Health Implications Amid Sweltering Heat
The U.K. is in the midst of a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 34C. Dr Radhika Khosla warns: "The health implications of rising temperatures in the UK are serious... the risk of cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular problems increases among older adults, young children, people with chronic conditions, athletes and outdoor workers."
The problem of global energy inequity, explained by American refrigerators
"As renewables grow more widespread and affordable, it’s becoming increasingly possible to balance growth with sustainability. For cooling in India, Oxford University sustainable development expert Radhika Khosla told me, passive cooling methods, such as shading, natural ventilation, green roofs or reflective white roofs, and changing working schedules and hydration practices when possible will continue to be vital for people who can’t afford air conditioners or work most of the day outdoors."
Radhika Khosla on Sky's Daily Climate Show
Recent heatwaves in India and Pakistan have seen temperatures rise to unprecedented levels. Dr Radhika Khosla discussed the knock-on effect the demand for cooling systems like air conditioning. "Right now most air conditioners that are being used are not even near half the level of energy efficiency that they could be," she said.