ASEAN and UNEP launch passive cooling roadmap to protect communities and cities from rising heat risks in ASEAN

Date: Wednesday, 8 April 2026

[Press release]

Launching event of the “Roadmap for Extreme Heat Protection through Passive Cooling in the ASEAN Region” in Manila, Philippines, 7 April 2026. (From left to right: Dr. Tetsu Kubota as Co-Chair of Passive Cooling Advisory Group, Director Patrick T. Aquino, CESO III, Department of Energy of the Philippines, Dr. Daniel Collin Jornales as Chair of Passive Cooling Advisory Group and Chair of ASEAN EE&C-SSN Working Group on Building, Naing Naing Linn, Head of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department, ASEAN Centre for Energy)

Manila, 7 April 2026 – The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through the Cool Coalition and EmPower: Women for Climate Resilient Societies Programme, have officially launched publication titled, the Roadmap for Extreme Heat Protection through Passive Cooling in ASEAN Region to address rising heat risks and their growing impacts across the region. The publication release was commemorated through a launching event held in partnership with the Department of Energy of the Philippines in Manila.

Driven by rapid urbanization, ASEAN could face up to 120 days per year with temperatures above 35°C by 2050, posing significant risks to human health, energy security, economic productivity, and climate resilience. In response, the roadmap was developed to promote passive cooling strategies, such as natural ventilation, reflective roofs, and high-performance building envelopes, grounded in a "Passive First" design philosophy that prioritizes reducing cooling demand before applying active cooling solutions. According to the roadmap, this approach represents a practical and transformative pathway that can deliver cooling energy savings of 20 to 50 per cent. Read more

The Roadmap for Extreme Heat Protection through Passive Cooling in ASEAN Region was supported by the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies (EmPower) Programme. Jointly implemented by UN Women and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) with support from the Governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, EmPower is dedicated to empowering women and marginalized groups to take the lead in building climate-resilient communities.