Wednesday May 21st, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m
Jointly Organized by CIB TG97 and UNEP Passive Cooling Working Group
A half-day workshop on Nature-Based Solutions for Passive Cooling is jointly organized by the CIB Task Group 97 (TG97) and the UNEP Passive Cooling Working Group and will be held during the WBC 2025 conference, on Wednesday, May 21st, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The workshop will be open to all WBC 2025 participants, as well as interested members from the respective working groups. The workshop aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge on existing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and passive cooling strategies, critically examine the benefits and challenges associated with various solutions across different climatological regions, and collaboratively develop ideas and guidelines to promote the wider implementation of NBS and passive cooling techniques at both the building and city scales.
Following introductory presentations to establish the context, participants will divide into two or three thematic subgroups for in-depth working sessions. The workshop will conclude with a debriefing session to synthesize outcomes and share key insights with all attendees. The detailed program is outlined in the following Table and may be subject to change.
Program
| Time | Session | Speaker(s)/Organizer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | Welcome and Opening Remarks | Huub Keizers – CIB/Passive Cooling WG |
| 10:40 | Passive Cooling Policy Overview | Gennai Kamata UNEP/GlobalABC/Cool Coalition |
| 11:00 | TG97 Activities on NBS for Passive Cooling | Zahra Jandaghian – Co –Chair TG97 |
| 11:30 | Explanation of Working Session Format | Huub Keizers/Zahra Jandaghian |
| 11:40 | Open Discussion / Q&A | Participants |
| 12:30 | Lunch Break & Game Plan | Huub Keizers & Zahra Jandaghian |
| 13:30 | Breakout Group Working Sessions (2–3 groups based on climate zones) | Facilitators per group |
| 14:30 | Briefing of Results and Input/Advice to TG97 & Passive Cooling WG | Group representatives |
| 14:45 | Adjournment; Action Plan & Next Step Close | Huub Keizers & Zahra Jandaghian |
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)
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