COP30 Presidency and UNEP launch implementation phase of the Global Mutirão Against Extreme Heat

12 November 2025, Belém: The implementation phase of the Global Mutirão Against Extreme Heat / Beat the Heat was launched this Tuesday, 11 November, by the COP30 Presidency and the Cool Coalition, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The initiative seeks to accelerate the implementation of sustainable cooling and heat-resilience solutions in cities around the world, translating the commitments of the Global Cooling Pledge into concrete action.

To date, 185 cities have joined the Global Mutirão Against Extreme Heat / Beat the Heat. In addition, 72 nations have endorsed the Global Cooling Pledge, which aims to reduce cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050.

For COP30 CEO Ana Toni, the Global Mutirão Against Extreme Heat / Beat the Heat is one of the most effective ways to communicate what is being accomplished at the conference. “People understand heat because they feel it in their bodies. The initiative connects with people, and they can only continue supporting multilateral climate agreements and the coalitions being built around them if they truly understand. And people are feeling the heat everywhere,” she emphasized.

Ana Toni also noted that the mobilization serves as an example of how to unite the world around a common goal. “Through capacity building and concrete actions, mayors and the private sector can implement the initiative, and technology can play a crucial role. If we truly succeed in expanding this Mutirão, we will see how many more cities will be part of Beat the Heat by the end of COP30,” she said.

Sustainable Cooling

According to a new UNEP report, global cooling demand is expected to triple by 2050, further driving climate change and straining power grids. The document also notes that a pathway to sustainable cooling could reduce cooling-related emissions by 64% by 2050, protect 3 billion people from rising heat, and save up to USD 43 trillion in avoided electricity and infrastructure costs.

Published by the Cool Coalition and led by UNEP, the report is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the growing global demand for cooling and the urgent need for environmentally sound solutions. The Sustainable Cooling Pathway can ensure access to cooling and refrigeration, resilient buildings, and green urban spaces for all — including vulnerable and low-income groups such as small farmers, women, and the elderly — without exacerbating the climate crisis.

Present at the launch event, Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, noted that approximately 20 million children and adolescents in Brazil attend schools that are neither adapted nor air-conditioned. She stressed the importance of implementing a set of measures to address extreme heat across three interconnected agendas: mitigation, adaptation, and transformation.

“The mitigation agenda addresses the root cause of extreme heat. The adaptation agenda recognizes that, since it is already happening, we must develop synergistic and sustainable ways to respond. Finally, the transformation agenda represents a longer-term, structural process that will allow us to resolve — or at least seek to resolve — the problem,” the minister emphasized.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen highlighted that, under the Global Cooling Pledge, 72 countries are already collaborating to reduce cooling-related emissions by over 60% by 2050 while expanding access to sustainable cooling.

“Meeting these targets is crucial because extreme heat is a clear sign of crisis. Extreme heat is already deadly, causing around half a million deaths each year, and unfortunately, the situation is set to worsen. Access to cooling must be treated as essential infrastructure — just like water, energy, and sanitation — because cooling saves lives and keeps economies, schools, and hospitals running,” said the Executive Director.

Role of Cities

Extreme heat is already one of the main consequences of the climate crisis and represents one of the greatest challenges faced by municipalities worldwide. According to representatives from various cities, the expansion of urban centers has intensified these effects, creating risks such as population displacement and increased informal housing, explained Bashir Mohamed Jama, Somalia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Also speaking at the event, Evandro Leitão, Mayor of Fortaleza (Ceará, Brazil), emphasized that tackling the climate crisis cannot be achieved without social justice — and vice versa. “Addressing the climate crisis also means advancing social justice through cross-sectoral actions — in health, education, and infrastructure,” he stated.

Also Read: Maharashtra’s Sweet Lime Farmers Hit by 48°C Heat, Drought, and Unpaid Insurance Claims

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