NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Extreme heat is one of the fastest-growing risks for cities and communities, with the greatest impacts often felt by low-income households, informal settlements and people with limited access to safe cooling.

Cool Talks spotlight innovative solutions, policies, and partnerships across the sustainable cooling landscape. From passive cooling and refrigerants to finance, technology, and just access, each session brings together global experts to exchange knowledge, inspire action, and accelerate progress toward a cooler, more resilient future.

This UNEP Cool Talk will explore findings from new research led by University of Michigan in Brazil, Colombia and Burkina Faso about how passive cooling interventions can reduce indoor heat exposure in vulnerable settlements. Taking place shortly after Heat Action Day and World Environment Day 2026, the discussion will connect evidence on indoor heat with practical city and community action, from housing improvements and passive cooling to urban planning, heat governance and implementation through Beat the Heat.

Speakers:

Ekta Jhaveri – Moderator & Program Manager, Climate-Health William Davidson Institute

Eva Gurría – Partnerships and External Relations, NBSAP Accelerator Partnership

Aynur Kadihasanoglu – Senior Urban Specialist, Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre

Elsa Lefèvre – Programme Management Officer, Subnational Climate Action·United Nations Environment Programme

Ana Paula Pimentel Walker – Associate Professor, Urban Planning·University of Michigan

Julian Constantino Carvajal – Legal Consultant, Unidad Administrativa Especial de Servicios Públicos

Gabriel Harp – Director of Research and Creative Practice Development·University of Michigan

Access the agenda here.

Time: 15:00 – 16:00 CEST / 09:00 – 10:00 AM ET

Register Here