Empower Deepens UNEP Partnership With Cool Coalition At ADSW 2026

Regional and global efforts to expand sustainable cooling gained momentum as Ahmad Bin Shafar met the United Nations Environment Programme’s Cool Coalition leadership during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026, discussing how district cooling can support climate goals, energy efficiency targets, and the implementation of the Global Cooling Pledge launched at COP28 in the UAE.

The talks brought together Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer of Empower and Chairman of the District Cooling Operators Association, and Lily Riahi, Head and Global Coordinator of UNEP’s Cool Coalition, along with Coalition representatives, to review cooperation on district cooling, sustainable business models, and advisory support for national and state-level cooling policies.

One key focus was the Cool Coalition’s Global Cooling Pledge, unveiled during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference-COP28 in the UAE, and how to speed up deployment of sustainable cooling solutions across participating countries, with discussions covering technical support, policy guidance, and knowledge-sharing platforms to convert international climate commitments into practical actions in cities.

"We work within the framework of the wise leadership’s forward-looking vision, which places strong emphasis on district cooling within national plans to enhance energy efficiency and build a sustainable, carbon-free future. The Global Cooling Pledge represents a practical embodiment of these efforts and serves as a key driver of international initiatives in the district cooling sector. Through this framework, efforts are focused on translating global commitments into concrete actions on the ground and advancing the transition to innovative and sustainable cooling solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate action," said Bin Shafar.

Participants examined ways to enhance cooperation under UNEP’s ‘District Energy in Cities’ global initiative, where Ahmad Bin Shafar serves as Special Advisor on District Cooling and Member Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the International District Energy Association, with Empower sharing experience from large-scale projects and integrated operating models in the UAE.

The meeting also considered sustainable business models for district cooling, highlighting the ‘utility-service’ approach and Empower’s integrated end-to-end model, which covers design, construction, operation, maintenance, metering, billing, and customer service, with both sides reviewing how such structures can improve project bankability and long-term performance in emerging and mature markets.

"Based on Dubai and the UAE’s leading position in the global sustainable district cooling sector, Empower is keen to build bridges of constructive dialogue, enhance cooperation and joint efforts with global partners, and lead initiatives to advance the district cooling sector and promote its wider global adoption," he added.

Technical cooperation options featured strongly, including support for feasibility assessments, engineering design, validation of district cooling systems, operational optimisation, training programmes, and wider information exchange, while the parties also discussed using EPIC contracts, covering engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning, and expanding the ‘cooling as a service’ concept within Global Cooling Pledge countries.

The Global Cooling Pledge has attracted 72 countries and more than 80 partners within 18 months, and the parties reviewed progress by analysing participation and engagement levels, as outlined below:{TABLE_1}

Empower’s broader role within the Cool Coalition was also reviewed, including its participation in District Energy conferences in Chile and Colombia, involvement in COP28 in the UAE, contribution to international virtual seminars on sustainable district cooling solutions, and hosting of technical study tours in Dubai, which together support knowledge exchange, promote energy-efficient cooling technologies, and highlight how district cooling can reduce carbon emissions and assist in meeting global sustainability objectives.

With inputs from WAM