White paint: a cool solution for climate change?

Cooling properties of new ultra-white formula could offset worsening global warming

Whitewashed houses on Santorini, Greece, against ocean backdrop
White paint has long been lauded for its cooling properties, but commercially available brands still absorb about 10% of the sunlight
(Image credit: David C Tomlinson / Getty)

Brilliantly whitewashed houses are a familiar sight in hot countries, from Morocco to Greece. In fact, white-painted roofs “have been used to cool buildings for centuries”, said The Guardian.

But against the backdrop of record-high global temperatures, scientists and governments are increasingly looking to new forms of white paint as a cheap, accessible cooling method.

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.