On 15 December 2025, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) convened the Stakeholder Consultation Webinar, “Accelerating Passive Cooling Strategies for Climate-Resilient Buildings in ASEAN,” held virtually from 14:30–16:40 (GMT+7). The consultation webinar aims to support the development of the “Roadmap for Passive Cooling in the ASEAN Region: An Inclusive Heat Resilience Approach,” led by ACE and the UNEP Cool Coalition, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GABC) and UN Women, under the EmPower II Programme.
The session brought together 83 participants, 44 women and 39 men, from the members of the ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group, ASEAN Energy Efficiency & Conservation Sub-Sector Network (EE&C-SSN) Working Group on Building, the Global Passive Cooling Working Group, and other non-government stakeholders. With women comprising 53.01% of attendees, the webinar underscored ASEAN’s commitment to inclusive participation in regional climate and energy dialogues, while reaffirming the importance of a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral approach to scaling passive cooling solutions across the region.
Photo 1. Kick-off Meeting Participants
The meeting opened with remarks from Dr Daniel Collin Jornales, Chair of the ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group and Chief Science Research Specialist at the Philippines Department of Energy (DOE). He highlighted ASEAN’s growing climate challenges and emphasised that passive cooling is no longer merely a design preference, but a strategic solution aligned with shared regional priorities to reduce emissions, strengthen energy efficiency, and protect communities from extreme heat. He also reaffirmed the Advisory Group’s commitment to advancing a future where energy efficiency and climate resilience are mutually reinforcing pillars of progress.
Ms. Naing Naing Linn, Head of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation (EE&C) Department at ACE, followed by emphasising that the roadmap aligns closely with the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026–2030, particularly in accelerating decarbonisation, enhancing energy efficiency, and advancing a just and inclusive energy transition. She underscored that passive cooling measures, including natural ventilation, strategic shading, reflective materials, thermal mass, and optimal building orientation, can reduce indoor temperatures by 2–4°C, and up to 8°C under optimised conditions. By reducing dependence on mechanical cooling, she noted that passive cooling can relieve pressure on power grids while supporting ASEAN’s broader mitigation and adaptation objectives.
Photo 2. Opening Remarks by Dr Daniel Collin Jornales as the Chair of the ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group and Naing Naing Linn from ACE
Following this, Irma Ramadan and Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, Senior Officers of the EE&C Department at ACE, delivered an overview of the Regional Roadmap for Passive Cooling Strategies in ASEAN. They noted that earlier ASEAN research found passive cooling remains underutilised despite its potential to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions linked to cooling appliances, particularly air conditioners. They also highlighted the roadmap’s technical evidence base, including building thermal simulation results across four climate zones using DesignBuilder, which supports the case for scaling passive cooling as a practical, high-impact intervention for buildings in the region.
They further positioned passive cooling as a key enabler of ASEAN’s strategic vision, including efforts to achieve energy efficiency targets through a 20–30% reduction in cooling energy consumption by 2030, strengthen climate resilience, support progress on NDCs, and advance regional cooperation through harmonised standards, shared toolkits, and mutual recognition of certifications. The presentation outlined a phased implementation trajectory with proposed actions ranging from regional standards and certification facilities, professional training and pilots across ASEAN Member States, and scaling retrofit and financing programmes towards 15% market penetration, to full code integration and the establishment of a Regional Centre of Excellence with 40% penetration.
The webinar then proceeded with two rounds of focus group discussions (FGDs), enabling targeted inputs across four thematic discussions. The first round covered Policy and Regulation (facilitated by Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, ACE, and Alexandra Mutungi, UNEP) and Financing Support (facilitated by Gennai Kamata, UNEP, and Zahra Aninda Pradiva, ACE).
Under Policy and Regulation, participants emphasised the need to prioritise residential buildings, broaden engagement beyond the energy sector to include housing and urban authorities, and strengthen urban planning alongside retrofit efforts. They also stressed accessibility through solutions across different cost levels, drawing on local materials and traditional knowledge, and recommended that certification and monitoring frameworks capture outcomes beyond energy savings, including thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and humidity.
Under Financing Support, participants highlighted high upfront costs, low awareness, and weak market demand as persistent barriers, and recommended using green certification tools (e.g., IFC EDGE) to demonstrate savings and payback. They also proposed aligning financing instruments, such as lower interest rates, longer loan tenors, and insurance products, with existing renovation and building improvement schemes, supported by guidance to ensure proper implementation.
Photo 4. FGD on Financing Support for Passive Cooling, moderated by Gennai Kamata from UNEP
The second round focused on Technology and Design Strategy (facilitated by Irma Ramadan from ACE, and Leyla Prezelin from UNEP) and Developers, Research, and Cross-Cutting Issues (facilitated by Lorena Carvalho from UNEP, and Zahra Aninda Pradiva from ACE).
Under Technology and Design Strategy, participants recommended that each passive cooling measure be accompanied by minimum performance specifications and simple verification and maintenance guidance to ensure outcomes are achieved and sustained beyond the design stage. They also highlighted the value of practical detailing guidance or standardised templates for ventilation solutions in dense, hot-humid settings to strengthen implementation quality. A participant also suggested grouping passive cooling measures into three tiers: (1) no-regrets or quick wins with high scalability and low complexity, (2) design-dependent measures requiring stronger local expertise, and (3) emerging measures needing pilots—a framework that could help ASEAN Member States prioritise near-term deployment while building capacity for more complex options.
Under Developers, Research, and Cross-Cutting Issues, participants emphasised the role of co-funded R&D, including support from development banks, to accelerate innovation and adapt solutions to local climatic and socio-economic contexts. They called for an ecosystem-based approach that strengthens collaboration among governments, financiers, technology providers, and practitioners, and noted that uptake is strongest when passive cooling is communicated through clear co-benefits, including improved comfort, lower electricity bills, reduced heat stress, and better health outcomes. Participants also noted the importance of situating passive cooling within holistic climate resilience strategies, recognising that ASEAN is vulnerable not only to extreme heat but also to flooding and other climate impacts, in support of long-term net-zero and climate-resilient built environments.
Photo 5. FGD on Developers, Research, and Cross-Cutting Issues of Passive Cooling Strategies, moderated by Lorena Carvalho from UNEP
In closing, Dr. Tetsu Kubota, the Co-Chair of the ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group, expressed appreciation to all participants and reaffirmed the importance of comprehensive guidelines, knowledge support, and enabling financial mechanisms as the roadmap advances. He noted that while housing and building policies are typically driven by a top-down approach, successful implementation will depend equally on bottom-up engagement and societal ownership. He described the roadmap as a significant milestone for the region and encouraged stakeholders to sustain momentum toward concrete implementation.
Photo 6. Closing Remarks by Dr Tetsu Kubota as the Co-Chair of the ASEAN Passive Cooling Advisory Group and Gennai Kamata from UNEP
Gennai Kamata, Associate Programme Officer at UNEP, followed by thanking participants for their valuable contributions from across stakeholder groups, including policymakers, financial institutions, universities, and design practitioners. He echoed the shared view that cross-sector collaboration is essential and reinforced the importance of bottom-up engagement. He also stressed that the roadmap must be grounded in local realities, such as construction practices, climate conditions, and cultural contexts, and welcomed the candid insights shared throughout the webinar as critical to strengthening the roadmap’s relevance and impact. The webinar also drew interest from the private sector, with representatives from innovative cooling startups expressing appreciation for the open discussion and its relevance to emerging market opportunities in sustainable cooling.
