Policies, programmes and investments that increase equitable access to sustainable cooling must account for gender-informed cooling needs and solutions. In doing so, they can actively help reduce inequalities escalating as the planet warms.
Thermal comfort at home, in cities and in the workplace should integrate solutions for insulation, cool roofs, cooling active solutions, and access to shade, drinking water and sanitation facilities that meet the specific needs of women and men.
Cold chain infrastructure and refrigeration — including those that are weak and off-grid — can strengthen agricultural value chains, improve food security and nutrition and health services, and increase income.
Gender-sensitive policies for access to cooling should leverage synergies with electricity, water and healthcare policies. Cooling is inherently linked to the delivery of other basic needs, including food, medical care and vaccines, which require a concerted effort with electricity and healthcare policies. This effort elevates cooling as a necessary service for the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG5 – gender equality.
