With one billion people lacking access to cooling, rising temperatures are a deadly and growing global threat. On 13 October 2020 Ashden and BloombergNEF showcased the innovators working towards inclusive, sustainable cooling in cities around the world.

The webinar featured case studies of real-world success – from cooling through greenery in Medellín, Colombia to a world-leading urban action plan in Ahmedabad, India.

The event uncovered barriers to investment and policy action in this area, and explored the roles of data, community engagement, finance and government in building the cooling ecosystem.

Speakers:

• Anjali Jaiswal, Senior Director at the Natural Resources Defence Council – Ashden Award winner, discussing heat action plans in India
• Alejandro Restrepo-Montoya, Director of Strategic Urban Projects – City Architect of Medellín (2016-2019) – Ashden Award winner, discussing environmental urbanism in the Colombian city of Medellín
• Lauren Racusin, International Urban Planning and Economic Development Consultant at Bloomberg Associates – discussing how to use climate related data to design cities better
• Emma Coker, Associate, Heating & Cooling at BNEF
• Ellen Dobbs, Programme Manager (Sustainable Energy for International Development) at Ashden.