As our world warms, is it time for governments and policymakers to take more radical measures?
One such area of global importance in need of protection is our "cooling" network. This essential infrastructure is what preserves our food and medicine as well as ensures comfort and productivity in increasingly extreme temperatures.
With demand for cooling expected to grow in the coming years, it is imperative for nations to integrate cooling solutions into their core infrastructure planning.
Over 16 years ago, when at the University of Birmingham, I worked alongside Professor Yulong Ding and Professor Toby Peters on a prototype to demonstrate the potential of cryogenic liquids for large-scale energy storage and cooling. This pioneering work has since evolved into practical applications, proving that sometimes, the solutions to our most pressing problems lie in straightforward, well-understood technologies.
Despite these advancements, the journey to implementing sustainable cooling at scale has been fraught with challenges. Radical innovations often attract attention, but securing funding for them remains difficult due to the risk-averse nature of commercial funders and the lack of established business models. The pandemic and the escalating climate crisis have highlighted the need for effective cooling solutions, yet this area remains underappreciated and underfunded.
As we move forward, embedding sustainable cooling into national infrastructures is imperative. Reflecting on past challenges that have hindered the development and scaling of new utilities and services, I propose five key lessons to build on:
First and foremost, education and the global need for sustainable cooling should be included at all levels of the learner journey in the tertiary sector.
Secondly, national academies and policy makers must grasp the significance of sustainable cooling as part of the critical national infrastructure.
Thirdly, educational initiatives should be tailored to regions most in need, such as Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. By establishing technical colleges and centres of excellence, like the Africa Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain in Rwanda, the necessary skills can be developed locally.
The fourth critical area is a need to encourage investment from bodies with a strong sense of corporate purpose and a willingness to make long-term, high-impact investments. Sustainable cooling offers significant short-term and long-term business opportunities. And lastly, we need to further understand how sustainable development goals interconnect, with sustainable cooling being central to health, water use, and food security.
To achieve these goals, we must collaborate across sectors and borders. By doing so, we can not only enhance the quality of life for citizens worldwide but also mitigate the effects of climate change and create new economic opportunities. Heriot-Watt University is proud to lead in this critical area, driving forward innovations in sustainable cooling and cold-chain. I'm also proud to support the work of University of Birmingham researchers: The Hot Reality: Living in a +50°C World which calls for a radical shift in policy to create more ambitious adaptation strategies for delivering resilient cooling.
Together, we can deliver the solutions necessary to ensure a sustainable and liveable future.
Professor Richard A Williams is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University.
Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk
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