Cooling Rights in a Sweltering South
Kartavya Desk Staff
- •Syllabus: Climate and Energy*
Source: TH
Context: In June 2025, GoI mandated all new ACs to operate between 20°C–28°C (default 24°C) to save energy and cut emissions.
• The debate has reignited over universal access to cooling as a public health safeguard and a climate adaptation necessity for India and the Global South.
About Cooling Rights in a Sweltering South:
What is Cooling?
• Cooling refers to the reduction of heat load in an environment to provide thermal comfort, protect health, and preserve essential systems.
• It is no longer limited to luxury or comfort; it has become a climate adaptation tool.
• Characteristics of cooling: Protective: reduces heat-related morbidity and mortality. Enabling: ensures productivity in labour-intensive sectors (agriculture, construction). Supportive: critical for healthcare (neonatal care, vaccine storage). Inequitable: access concentrated in rich urban households; poor & rural left vulnerable. Energy-intensive: rising demand risks higher emissions unless integrated with renewables.
• Protective: reduces heat-related morbidity and mortality.
• Enabling: ensures productivity in labour-intensive sectors (agriculture, construction).
• Supportive: critical for healthcare (neonatal care, vaccine storage).
• Inequitable: access concentrated in rich urban households; poor & rural left vulnerable.
• Energy-intensive: rising demand risks higher emissions unless integrated with renewables.
The imperative of cooling access:
• Climate-linked mortality: WHO estimates ~4.9 lakh deaths globally (2000–2019) due to heat; India alone reported 20,000+ heat-related deaths.
Eg: 2022 Ahmedabad heatwave saw dozens of deaths, prompting city-level Heat Action Plans.
• Labour vulnerability: Nearly 80% of India’s workforce is in agriculture, construction, and informal sectors—highly exposed to outdoor heat stress.
Eg: Rising incidences of heatstroke among construction workers in Delhi and street vendors in Hyderabad.
• Healthcare fragility: In South Asia, 12% of health centres lack electricity; in Sub-Saharan Africa, only 50% of hospitals have reliable power. Neonatal care, emergency surgeries, and vaccine storage depend on stable cooling.
• Neonatal care, emergency surgeries, and vaccine storage depend on stable cooling.
• Equity gap: In India, AC ownership averages just 5% (2021): 13% in urban, 1% in rural; richest 10% own 72% of all ACs. In contrast, 90% households in US & Japan have AC access.
• In contrast, 90% households in US & Japan have AC access.
• Energy challenge: GoI’s 2025 proposal—ACs to run at 20–28°C (default 24°C) → estimated saving: 20 billion units, ₹10,000 crore, 16 MT CO₂. But efficiency measures alone don’t address inequity.
Global North vs Global South paradox:
• North: Rapid AC adoption seen as legitimate “adaptation” (e.g., Europe doubling AC ownership since 1990 after heatwaves).
• South: Rising demand framed as a “mitigation burden” threatening global emissions targets.
• This asymmetry reveals climate hypocrisy and highlights the need for development justice.
Policy landscape in India:
• India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), 2019: Aims to reduce cooling demand by 20–25% by 2037–38. Promotes energy efficiency, building codes, cold-chain expansion, and R&D in green refrigerants.
• Aims to reduce cooling demand by 20–25% by 2037–38.
• Promotes energy efficiency, building codes, cold-chain expansion, and R&D in green refrigerants.
• Heat Action Plans (HAPs): Initiated in Ahmedabad (2013), now adopted by 23 states. Focus on early warnings, cooling centres, awareness drives. Weakness: poor funding, lack of enforcement, limited reach in rural belts.
• Initiated in Ahmedabad (2013), now adopted by 23 states.
• Focus on early warnings, cooling centres, awareness drives.
• Weakness: poor funding, lack of enforcement, limited reach in rural belts.
• BEE regulations: Default AC setting at 24°C, star-labelling for efficiency.
• International cooperation: Kigali Amendment (2016) under Montreal Protocol → phasedown of HFCs. India committed to cutting HFC use by 85% by 2047.
• Kigali Amendment (2016) under Montreal Protocol → phasedown of HFCs.
• India committed to cutting HFC use by 85% by 2047.
Key challenges:
• Affordability barrier: ACs remain a luxury good for most households.
• Energy poverty: Per capita electricity consumption in India far below global average (1,327 kWh vs US’s 12,000 kWh).
• Infrastructure deficits: Heat shelters, green public spaces, and passive cooling designs are limited.
• Climate trade-off: Rising AC demand could worsen emissions unless powered by renewables.
• Regulatory gaps: Weak implementation of HAPs and absence of universal cooling rights.
Way forward:
• Universal cooling as a right:
• Recognise cooling as a public health right, similar to food and water. Build climate-resilient housing with passive cooling (ventilation, reflective rooftops).
• Recognise cooling as a public health right, similar to food and water.
• Build climate-resilient housing with passive cooling (ventilation, reflective rooftops).
• Public infrastructure:
• Expand heat shelters, shaded walkways, and community cooling centres. Prioritise cooling access in schools, anganwadis, hospitals.
• Expand heat shelters, shaded walkways, and community cooling centres.
• Prioritise cooling access in schools, anganwadis, hospitals.
• Labour protection:
• Heat-index based work-rest cycles, hydration facilities, and mandatory shaded rest areas. Eg: Telangana’s rule mandating mid-day breaks for construction workers during peak summer.
• Heat-index based work-rest cycles, hydration facilities, and mandatory shaded rest areas.
• Eg: Telangana’s rule mandating mid-day breaks for construction workers during peak summer.
• Technology & innovation:
• Promote low-cost, energy-efficient ACs with green refrigerants. Expand district cooling systems in urban centres (already piloted in Amaravati, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City).
• Promote low-cost, energy-efficient ACs with green refrigerants.
• Expand district cooling systems in urban centres (already piloted in Amaravati, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City).
• Global cooperation:
• Push for finance & technology transfer under UNFCCC frameworks. Climate finance should include adaptation aid for cooling infrastructure.
• Push for finance & technology transfer under UNFCCC frameworks.
• Climate finance should include adaptation aid for cooling infrastructure.
Conclusion:
As the global South enters an era of unprecedented heat stress, cooling must shift from a privilege of the few to a developmental right for all. India’s future lies in balancing equitable access with energy efficiency, embedding cooling into health, housing, and labour policies, and demanding climate justice from the North.