By Eamonn Ryan
In her remarks at the Green Cooling Summit, GIZ’s Ingrid Gabriela Hoven argued that the sector must respond by mainstreaming natural refrigerants and climate‑friendly technologies in split systems and chillers.
Global warming and extreme heat events are driving unprecedented demand for air conditioning.
Magnific.com
Global warming and extreme heat events are driving unprecedented demand for air conditioning – especially in regions that have historically had low cooling penetration. For the HVAC&R industry, this surge presents both a vast market opportunity and a significant climate risk.
Hoven noted that more people will turn to air conditioners as global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent. In some regions, access to cooling will be a matter of survival, not comfort.
However, she warned that if this demand is met with conventional, high‑GWP refrigerants and inefficient systems, the climate impact will be severe. Instead, she called for accelerated uptake of existing, climate‑friendly technologies, with a particular focus on natural refrigerants in new split air conditioners, chillers and larger systems.
The core question she raised: How can we ensure that “we use the techniques that are already available, especially natural refrigerants in those new split ACs or chillers that would actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions?”
Despite technological readiness, Hoven acknowledged that adoption is not yet where it needs to be. Key barriers include:
- Slow market uptake of natural refrigerant systems
- Lack of supportive regulation and standards in some markets
- Limited awareness and capacity across supply chains
The Green Cooling Summit is positioned as a platform to dig deeper into:
- Best practices in deploying natural refrigerant systems
- Innovation in green cooling technologies
- New opportunities for industry and policy-makers
For HVAC&R practitioners, this means staying ahead of:
- Emerging standards and safety requirements for natural refrigerants
- Training and skills needed to install, service and maintain such systems
- Product development that enables safe, efficient and scalable use of low‑GWP options
