Unlocking Climate Finance Opportunities for Sustainable Cooling in Ethiopia

Access to sustainable cooling is a vital yet often overlooked element of national climate and development plans, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). In the African continent, approximately 370 million people face severe heat-related risks due to limited cooling access, with women disproportionately affected. Expanding access to cooling—especially in rural areas—requires innovative financing and implementation strategies. Addressing these gaps will drive substantial development benefits, from improved health and productivity to enhanced food security in the agricultural sector.

Perspectives Climate Research in collaboration with South South North has recently published two resources – a guidebook and a roadmap – as part of the project “Establishing Access to Sustainable Cold Chains in Ethiopia,” funded by the Clean Cooling Collaborative. The project aims to enhance Ethiopia’s access to sustainable cooling solutions by integrating cooling into its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), developing Minimum Energy Performance Standards for cooling equipment, and improving access to climate finance for cooling services. The Clean Cooling Collaborative, an initiative of the ClimateWorks Foundation, is dedicated to transforming the cooling sector to provide efficient, accessible, climate-friendly cooling .

The guidebook “How to support actors in Least Developed Countries accessing climate finance to accelerate rural cooling solutions” provides actionable guidance for entities seeking to expand sustainable cooling access for vulnerable countries and communities. It helps stakeholders identify funding opportunities, evaluate financing options, and develop successful applications. Additionally, it raises awareness among funding institutions about the challenges of financing projects in rural areas, for small-scale appliances, or in LDCs. By addressing both project developers and funders, the guide aims to bridge the gap between innovative cooling solutions and the financial resources needed to implement them effectively. It was authored by Perspectives’ Marc André Marr, Ashwin Tomy, Alicia Schmid, Ikram Douba and Stephan Hoch.

The roadmap “A Roadmap for Integrating the Cooling Sector in Ethiopia’s NDC“ builds on the guidebook to offer a structured approach for incorporating the cooling sector into Ethiopia’s NDC. Given the high global warming potential of cooling agents, this sector plays a crucial role in climate mitigation but remains largely underrepresented in NDCs This report provides Ethiopian policymakers with a step-by-step framework to overcome these barriers, align with international climate commitments, and unlock financing opportunities. While tailored to Ethiopia, the roadmap can serve as a model for integrating any new sectors into NDCs in other countries, supporting broader efforts to enhance climate ambitions. It was authored by Perspectives’ Ashwin Tomy, Alicia Schmid, Ikram Douba, Marc André Marr and Stephan Hoch, and by Wondwossen Sintayehu.