Overview:

Summary: Air conditioning within households helps residents stay cool, which is especially critical for reducing the risks of extreme heat among vulnerable populations.

Implementation: Provide grants or rebates toward installation or utility costs for air conditioning units in homes.

Considerations for Use: As more households use air conditioning during heat waves, regions will face increased greenhouse gas emissions and risk of power outages. Funds can also be made available for repair and maintenance to ensure households are using air conditioners free of mold and mildew.

• Policy Levers: The mechanism municipalities can use to actualize the intervention. These policy levers will likely be used in combination with each other.
  
  
  Funding and FinancingThe allocation of public or philanthropic funding or private financing to implement projects, including risk transfer mechanisms.
• Trigger Points: Opportunities for municipalities to implement risk reduction and preparedness interventions based on the policy lever, building on the United Nations Environment Programme triggers used in the Beating the Heat handbook (2021).
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
• Intervention Type:
  Buildings and Built Form
• Sectors:
  Buildings, Informal Settlements, Public Works

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Renters, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Emergency response and management
• Metrics:
  Change in share of population with AC

Case Studies:

• Cool Neighborhoods NYC

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City, Neighborhood
• Authority and Governance:
  City government, State/provincial government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  CBOs, City government, Property owners and managers
• Funding Sources:
  Grants and philanthropy, private investment, Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  Medium
• GHG Reduction:
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Social):
  N/A