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Home » K-CEP changes name to Clean Cooling Collaborative; International energy efficiency expert appointed director

K-CEP changes name to Clean Cooling Collaborative; International energy efficiency expert appointed director

  • marimac 

ClimateWorks Foundation, a leading global platform for climate philanthropy, announced at the end of August this year that the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme (K-CEP) has changed its name to the Clean Cooling Collaborative. The new name better reflects the programme’s growing role in building a global coalition working across policy, finance, and industry to decarbonise the cooling sector by increasing the use of energy-efficient and climate-friendly refrigeration and air conditioning.

Image credit: Clean Cooling Collaborative

In addition to the name change, the leading global philanthropic programme for climate-friendly cooling poised for accelerated progress to help sector achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, named their new director: Noah Horowitz, a leading expert in energy efficiency.

The Clean Cooling Collaborative was created in 2017 by leading climate foundations to facilitate efforts under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol refrigerant phasedown and to advance efficiency. The programme has helped place cooling on the global agenda since its inception by catalysing a vast network of organisations, institutions, companies, and governments to bring efficient, climate-friendly policy and technology solutions to the world.

“As the climate crisis deepens, the need for affordable, climate-friendly cooling is more acute than ever,” said Chris DeCardy, acting CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation. “The Clean Cooling Collaborative is the most successful global philanthropic programme focused on reducing emissions in the cooling sector. We’re thrilled to welcome Noah as the new director. With new leadership, a new name, and strong partners, the programme is well-positioned to help increase access to efficient, clean cooling for all.”

Horowitz is a scientist with over three decades of experience in designing collaborative projects between the private and public sectors to advance energy efficiency, climate, and clean energy goals. He is an internationally recognised energy efficiency expert in the areas of consumer electronics and residential lighting and played a leading role in the ongoing phaseout of inefficient incandescent light bulbs around the world.

Horowitz was previously the director of NRDC’s Centre for Energy Efficiency Standards, where he led a team that worked to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and the equipment inside them. Before NRDC, he led worldwide environmental programmes for Quaker Oats. He received a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Horowitz succeeds Jessica Brown as director, who will remain involved with the initiative as an advisor. In his new role, Horowitz will guide the Clean Cooling Collaborative as it executes a new comprehensive strategy to set the global cooling sector on a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Horowitz added, “I’m honoured to be joining the Clean Cooling Collaborative and for the opportunity to help prevent billions of tons of emissions that cause climate change. This programme will make peoples’ lives better in so many ways and lead to greater comfort in our buildings, less food waste, lower utility bills, improved air quality, and fewer future power outages. I’ve long admired the Collaborative’s systems-based approach to engagement, which has resulted in incredible momentum on cooling worldwide, and I’m excited to be working with the team to build on the impact they’ve achieved to-date.”

“The work of the Clean Cooling Collaborative is critical to paving the way for efficient and life-saving cooling in the regions and communities that need it the most,” said Sonia Medina, executive director of climate at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). “As an early supporter of the initiative and an organisation committed to supporting systemic change that improves children’s lives, we look forward to our continued partnership with the Clean Cooling Collaborative and working with Noah in his new capacity as director.”