Cooling has become one of the fastest-growing drivers of global energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. Rising temperatures, urbanization, population growth, and increasing expectations for thermal comfort are creating unprecedented demand for cooling across homes, workplaces, healthcare facilities, transportation systems, and agricultural supply chains. At the same time, access to affordable and sustainable cooling remains highly uneven, particularly in developing countries where vulnerable populations are often most exposed to extreme heat.

Addressing these challenges requires more than advances in cooling technologies alone. Emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, smart sensing, digital twins, and intelligent control systems, are transforming how cooling infrastructure is designed, operated, monitored, and optimized. These technologies offer new opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact, enhance resilience to climate change, and expand access to cooling services.

This special session provides a forum for researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of digital transformation, sustainable cooling, and climate resilience. It aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers from computing, engineering, energy systems, sustainability, climate science, and public policy communities.