Briefing: How do we adapt to the new hot reality? Available to Purchase

Increasing global temperatures and more frequent, intense heatwaves are creating severe challenges for societies worldwide. These extremes threaten public health, strain critical infrastructure – from power grids and buildings to food supply chains and digital operations – and undermine economic productivity. At the same time, the surging cooling demand to mitigate these impacts risks overwhelming energy systems and exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions, creating a dangerous feedback loop that further intensifies climate change. In response, there is an urgent need for sustainable, equitable and resilient cooling solutions that protect communities without compounding climate impacts. Achieving this requires a holistic, system-level approach – one that starts with accurately understanding current and future cooling needs rather than assuming unchecked demand growth. We must then fundamentally rethink how cold is produced, stored, transported, managed, financed and regulated. Achieving this transformation calls for coordinated, cross-sectoral policymaking that integrates cooling into broader climate resilience and energy strategies, ensuring that societies not only adapt to climate change but do so equitably and sustainably.