COP30 Focuses on Cooling Solutions and AI Innovation

The emissions from the electricity or gasoline that powers air conditioners contributes to global warming.

As the planet heats up, so does the race for smarter, cleaner technology. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, delegates are confronting a paradox at the heart of climate innovation: how to harness powerful tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced cooling systems without worsening the very crisis they aim to solve.

AI is already helping farmers predict droughts and manage crops more efficiently, but the environmental cost of training large models and running vast data centres is raising concern.

Meanwhile, cooling—once seen as a luxury and now a necessity in many parts of the world—remains one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. From passive cooling architecture to solar-powered refrigeration, sustainable alternatives are gaining attention, but scaling them up remains a major challenge.

At the centre of negotiations at COP30 is the long-delayed Technology Implementation Programme, a blueprint for getting life-saving innovations to those who need them most. However, progress is slow. Intellectual property rules, commercial restrictions, and financing hurdles continue to block access for developing countries, even as urgency mounts.

Sustainable cooling for a hotter planet

COP30 Executive Director Ana Toni said after the opening session on Monday that she had joined discussions on technological innovations that could accelerate climate solutions—from flood warning systems and methane-monitoring satellites to breakthroughs in energy efficiency.

The issue returned to centre stage on Tuesday with the launch of the Beat the Heat Implementation Drive, a joint initiative by Brazil’s COP30 Presidency, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and partners in the Cool Coalition. The drive aims to make cooling more accessible—and less polluting—in a world where deadly heatwaves are becoming the norm.

Cooling demand is expected to triple by 2050, driven by rising temperatures, growing populations, and expanding access to inefficient systems. Without intervention, emissions from cooling could nearly double, overwhelming power grids and derailing climate goals.

UNEP’s new Global Cooling Watch 2025 report warns that business-as-usual cooling could generate 7.2 billion tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions by mid-century.

The Beat the Heat initiative promotes a Sustainable Cooling Pathway—a mix of passive design, nature-based solutions, and clean technologies that can cut emissions by up to 97 percent when paired with rapid decarbonization.

It’s not just about air conditioners: cool roofs, urban green spaces, and low-energy systems are central to the plan. Nearly two-thirds of potential emissions cuts come from passive and low-energy solutions, many of which are affordable and scalable.

“Cooling must be treated as essential infrastructure, alongside water and energy,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. “But we cannot air-condition our way out of the heat crisis.”

More than 185 cities—from Rio to Nairobi—have joined the Beat the Heat initiative, alongside 72 countries backing the Global Cooling Pledge. The effort aims to bridge gaps in finance, policy, and delivery, particularly for vulnerable communities on the frontlines of climate change.

Artificial intelligence on the agenda

While AI is not part of the formal COP30 negotiations, it is gaining momentum in the Action Agenda—a platform to mobilize voluntary climate action by civil society, businesses, investors, cities, and states.

Brazil’s government is mapping examples of how AI can support climate resilience, a growing trend among other UN Member States. One standout comes from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, where researcher Alisa Luangrath developed an AI-powered irrigation system in Savannakhet Province, a region hit hard by drought and water scarcity.

She was named the 2025 winner of the UNFCCC “AI for Climate Action” Award.

Empowering farmers through smart data

Luangrath explained that her system integrates soil moisture sensors, groundwater monitors, and meteorological data with AI-driven analytics. It forecasts land conditions, water availability, and risks of floods or heat extremes, providing real-time updates to farmers through a mobile app. This helps them plan planting and irrigation cycles more efficiently.

She said she hopes her participation in COP30 will help forge partnerships to expand the innovation to other climate-vulnerable regions. All AI models and data tools from her project will be open source, ensuring free access and reuse.

The environmental cost of data

However, as AI adoption grows, so do concerns about its environmental footprint.

Luã Cruz, Coordinator for Telecommunications and Digital Rights at Brazil’s Consumer Defense Institute (Idec), warned that even routine digital activities—such as mobile phone use and online interactions—depend on massive data centres.

“These facilities consume vast amounts of energy and water for cooling, occupy large areas of land, and require significant mineral extraction for their electronic components,” he said.

Mr. Cruz added that many data centres “ignore planetary boundaries, seeking locations with minimal environmental regulation and generous tax incentives.”

Strain on water resources

Brazil, like several other countries, is racing to attract such facilities—a move Mr. Cruz believes could worsen water stress. He pointed to the Netherlands’ moratorium on new data centres and the closures of installations in Chile and Uruguay that had intensified local droughts.

Idec is currently involved in two legal cases in Brazil: one concerning a planned TikTok data centre in Caucaia, Ceará, near Indigenous territory; and another involving a proposed facility in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul—a city that was over 80 percent submerged after last year’s devastating floods.