AHVANT Foundation
for Net Zero Transformation
C-LECT

Center for Low Emission Cooling Transition

Decarbonising cooling across the Global South — through evidence-based market transformation, policy advocacy, and the LC4 collective.

The Challenge

Rising temperatures, rapid urbanisation, and growing incomes are driving an unprecedented surge in cooling demand. The burden falls hardest on India, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East — regions that face the greatest need and the least access to efficient solutions.

3×

rise in global cooling demand by 2050

1
7×

growth in Africa's cooling market by 2050

2
776M

people in Africa at risk from cooling access gap

3
⅔

of cooling emissions from developing economies

4

Air conditioners and fans already consume 10 percent of the world's electricity.5 Without decisive action, cooling will lock in decades of high-carbon infrastructure across the tropics — from Lagos to Mumbai to Jakarta.6

Our Approach

C-LECT works through the LC4 collective — an outcome-driven platform that unites governments, industry, and financiers around measurable emission reductions. The methodology rests on two pillars.

Pillar 1

Reduce the Need for Cooling

Climate-responsive building design, improved envelopes, shading, natural ventilation, and urban heat-island mitigation. These passive strategies — proven in India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia — cut cooling loads before any mechanical system is sized.

Pillar 2

Decarbonise the Cooling That Remains

High-efficiency equipment, district cooling, thermal energy storage, and natural refrigerants — deployed at scale. Ambitious policy and finance action can reduce space-cooling energy needs by over 45 percent globally.7 Building local technical capacity ensures these gains endure.8

LC4 Goals

50%

reduction in cooling-related building emissions by 2030

USD 1B

in financing mobilised by 2030

Key Programs

LC4 partners with governments, public utilities, and private companies to deliver measurable cooling transitions across India, South Asia, and the wider Global South.

Indian Railways

Energy-efficiency action plan developed and mandated across all zonal railways. Demonstration projects at RPF Barracks and Baroda House cut cooling energy use while improving thermal comfort for staff.

EESL

Tender awarded for 20,000 super-efficient air conditioners — 25 percent more efficient than the BEE 5-Star benchmark — creating a bulk-procurement model replicable across South Asia and East Africa.

NTPC

Net-zero roadmap developed for townships and offices, incorporating district cooling, thermal storage, and efficiency incentives. A template for large public-sector operators in India and Southeast Asia.

Maldives MCCEE

Energy-management guide created for more than 200 government schools. Standards and labelling programme extended to ceiling fans, demonstrating a scalable approach for small island developing states.

CHAI

Market-transformation strategy for room air conditioners developed with consumer-finance partners. The model applies across India, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa, where appliance markets are growing fastest.

Private Sector

Commitments secured from Carrier Technologies India, Voltas, Daikin, IHCL, John Keells (Sri Lanka), and Cargills Ceylon PLC — building an industry coalition to scale low-carbon cooling across the Global South.

Join the Transition

The cooling infrastructure installed today locks in emissions for 15–20 years. LC4 welcomes partnerships with organisations in India, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East committed to measurable climate impact at scale.

Get in Touch

Sources & References

  1. 1.UNEP, 'Global Cooling Watch,' 2025. Global cooling demand is on track to triple by 2050, driven overwhelmingly by emerging and developing economies in tropical regions.
  2. 2.UNEP, 'Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities,' 2024. The cooling market in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow sevenfold by 2050 as urbanisation and incomes rise.
  3. 3.SEforALL, 'Chilling Prospects: Tracking Sustainable Cooling for All,' 2023. An estimated 776 million people in Africa are at risk from lack of access to cooling, with severe consequences for health, food security, and productivity.
  4. 4.UNEP, 'Global Cooling Watch,' 2024. Developing economies now generate roughly two-thirds of all cooling-related greenhouse-gas emissions.
  5. 5.IEA, 'The Future of Cooling,' 2023. Air conditioners and electric fans already account for roughly 10 percent of global electricity consumption, a share that will rise sharply without intervention.
  6. 6.IPCC, Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group III, 2022. Buildings account for a significant and growing share of global energy demand, with cooling among the fastest-rising end uses in tropical and subtropical regions.
  7. 7.IEA, 'Energy Efficiency 2024.' Ambitious policy and finance action can reduce space-cooling energy needs by over 45 percent globally under the Efficient Cooling Scenario.
  8. 8.UNESCO, 'Education for Sustainable Development: A Roadmap,' 2020. Building local technical capacity and institutional knowledge is essential for lasting transitions in energy and climate adaptation.