Fair Cooling Fund

Sickening, dizzying heat rots their food and spoils their medicines. It strikes in fields and factories, homes and hospitals. And as global temperatures climb, so the threat grows. The worst off are most at risk.

The answer is fair cooling – affordable, accessible cooling solutions that do not worsen the climate crisis. Around the globe innovators are developing solar-powered refrigeration, using trees and streams to lower temperatures in crowded cities, and making better use of cool materials and ventilation when designing buildings.

Alternatives such as air conditioning are out of reach for many, and create emissions that fuel the climate emergency. Fair cooling is the future – but it isn’t spreading fast enough. That’s why Ashden, K-CEP and ClimateWorks Foundation have launched the $1 million Fair Cooling Fund, an ambitious project scaling up the impact of frontline fair cooling solutions. See the innovators we’re supporting.

Fair cooling is crucial because already marginalised communities, those who have done least to contribute to global heating, are most in danger. They are living in the hottest countries, often without access to energy, healthcare, or high-quality buildings. There’s an urgent need for solutions tailored to the challenges these groups face.