For an elderly couple and their grandson living on the outskirts of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, the combination of rising temperatures and a lack of access to sustainable cooling threatens their health and well-being. At night it’s too hot to sleep and during the day, temperatures make it difficult to study.

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation in many parts of the world, nor is it uncommon across Indonesia, where more than 40 million urban residents are at high risk from a lack of cooling.

Through the adoption of efficient, climate-friendly, and affordable cooling solutions like cool roofs, more people across the country (and world!) will be able to access the benefits of thermal comfort with reduced energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and utility costs.

This film was produced for the Clean Cooling Collaborative and ClimateWorks Foundation by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions as part of C40 Cities’ Transforming Cities series.

Transforming Cities series

Cities around the world are seizing their moment. In the face of worsening inequality, the Covid pandemic, and the crippling consequences of climate change, their leaders are taking action to secure a better quality of life for the many of us – more than half of the world’s population – that call cities home.

Adopting transformative plans, urban leaders are at the vanguard of climate action, in pursuit of a green and just transition. By collaborating with communities and engaging citizens at grassroots level, local leaders are working to ensure nobody is left behind in the race to achieve critical climate targets.