Our cities are heating up just as incomes are rising and the cost of air conditioning units are dropping around the world.  This creates a vicious cycle that drives up energy demand, puts a strain on our infrastructure and pumps more carbon into our atmosphere.  It’s little wonder that cities are looking for cleaner, cooler, and more sustainable ways to deal with urban heat.

That’s where the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP) Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group comes in.   A new GSEP pilot program is being launched in Jasdan, India, where they will use cool surfaces and other energy efficient technology to reduce energy use and lower utility bills in low-income housing units.   The project will also train local residents in the construction of “cool” homes.  This initial pilot project will start with 8 homes, but it could help the Indian government adopt these cool surface technologies on a wider scale.

The Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA) is coordinating the Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group.  The goals of this working group are to reduce energy use in buildings, improve the health and resiliency of urban populations and help cities prepare for the warming effects of climate change.   You can learn more about GCCA’s work on GSEP here.