A half-day workshop on Nature Based Solutions for Passive Cooling is being jointly organized by CIB-TG97 and the UNEP Passive Cooling Working Group during the WBC 2025 conference.. The workshop will be open to WBC 2025 participants as well as interested members from the respective working groups. Registration will be required, with the maximum number of participants determined by the available facilities.

The goal of the workshop is to share knowledge on existing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for passive cooling, discuss the advantages and challenges of different solutions across various climatological regions, and develop ideas and guidelines for the broader adoption of NBS at the building and district scales. Following introductory presentations to set the context, participants will divide into two or three subgroups for thematic discussions (working sessions encouraging active participation). The workshop will conclude with a debriefing session to summarize outcomes and share insights with all attendees.

Draft Program

  • Welcome                                                                                                                                     10 min
    (Huub, CIB/Passive Cooling WG)       
  • Passive Cooling Policy                                                                                                                 20 min

UNEP/GlobalABC/Cool Coalition- representative (tbd)

  • TG97-Activities on NBS for Passive Cooling         (Zahra/Hua Ge/.., TG-97)                                50 min

(background on TG97, overview of partners, modelling on building/district scale,
health aspects, examples from ongoing research, …)
+2 or 3 presenters

  • Explanation of working session in subgroups                                                                             10 min

(format tbd; action Huub/Zahra)

  • Tea/Coffee break                                                                                                                         20 min     
  • 2-3 breakout subgroup, for example: Hot/humid; Hot/Arid; Hot Summer/Cold Winter        75 min

Identify Accelerators (Pro’s), Decelerators (Con’s), possible (public-private) actions, …..

Every subgroup gets a facilitator to guide the discussions and ensure that actionable outputs are achieved. Focus the discussions on specific themes such as “Decarbonization with NBS,” “The Role of Passive Cooling in Reducing Carbon Emissions,” or “Sustainable Development Goals and Performance Evaluation.” This thematic approach should provide targeted insights and practical recommendations.
White board & notes (exact form tbd)

  • Briefing of results and input/advise/requests to TG97 & Passive Cooling WG                           30 min
  • Adjourn       

Expect participants: 40 – 50Governmental organizations, academia/research organizations, industry

Workshop Contributors

The Passive Cooling Working Group is a joint working group between GlobalABC and Cool Coalition under UNEP, where passive cooling strategies (PCS) are addressed for hot countries that are affected by increasing temperatures and humidities. The reason behind is that many developing countries in hot climates have committed to energy efficient and resilient buildings in an effort to reduce cooling demand and emissions in the context of the National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP), NDC, Global Cooling Pledge, Buildings Breakthrough, Declaration de Chaillot, etc.  The WG will serve as a knowledge hub and networking platform for those interested in PCS to share their experiences/resources to accelerate the enhancement of building policies and their implementation on the ground.
See also: Passive Cooling Action Group | GlobalABC

The CIB Task Group TG97-Nature-based solutions for climate resilient buildings and communities is a multidisciplinary team of researchers from around the globe would share research on nature-based solution to: 1) Quantify the contribution of existing and future Nature-based solutions and urban greenery enhancement to sequester carbon, reduce carbon emission from buildings, and moderate the urban microclimate to reduce urban heat island effects; 2) Demonstrate the approach in developing Nature-based solutions for carbon-neutral, climate-resilient buildings and communities through simulations that consider current and projected climate and development scenarios; 3) Develop NBS best practices, guidelines that enable professionals and policymakers to implement these solutions with confidence across the globe.
See also: TG97-Nature-based solutions for climate resilient buildings and communities