Draft of India’s Cooling Action Plan Launched
In March 2019, India became one of the first countries in the world to launch a comprehensive Cooling Action plan, which has a long term vision to address the cooling requirement across sectors such as residential and commercial buildings, cold-chain, refrigeration, transport and industries.
On eve of World Ozone Day (16th September), Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). The draft is prepared by Ozone Cell of MoEFC and aims to provide sustainable cooling while keeping in mind, at the same time, the need to protect the ozone layer from substances that can deplete it. This makes India, the first country in world to develop such document.
What is India’s Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
The India’s Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand, which will also help in reducing both direct and indirect emissions.
ICAP provides an integrated vision towards cooling across sectors encompassing inter alia reduction of cooling demand, refrigerant transition, enhancing energy efficiency and better technology options with a 20 year time horizon.
ICAP recommends synergies with ongoing government programmes and schemes such as Housing for All, the Smart Cities Mission, Doubling Farmers Income and Skill India Mission, in order to maximize socio-economic co-benefits.
The Ministry has already constituted the Steering Committee and Thematic Working Groups for providing the modalities for operationalization of the recommendations. They have already commenced their work.
Objectives of India’s Cooling Action Plan (ICAP):
The India Cooling Action Plan seeks to
- Reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38,
- Reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
- Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
- Recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national S&T Programme,
- Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing with Skill India Mission.
Benefits of ICAP
The following benefits would accrue to the society over and above the environmental benefits:
- Thermal comfort for all – provision for cooling for EWS and LIG housing,
- Sustainable cooling – low GHG emissions related to cooling,
- Doubling Farmers Income – better cold chain infrastructure – better value of produce to farmers, less wastage of produce,
- Skilled workforce for better livelihoods and environmental protection,
- Make in India – domestic manufacturing of air-conditioning and related cooling equipment’s,
- Robust R&D on alternative cooling technologies – to provide push to innovation in cooling sector.
India’s Cooling Action Plan gets UN applaud
At an event to mark the World Ozone Day 2019 in New Delhi, United Nations Secretary General, Mr António Guterres underlined the importance & need for all countries to develop National Cooling Action Plans.
“It is heartening to note that a step taken by India has led to a global recognition of this important policy initiative which can help in climate action and achievement of sustainable development goals.”, said the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Babul Supriyo.
He pointed out that the ICAP has been appreciated internationally as an important policy initiative which has the potential to provide socio-economic and environmental benefits related to reduced refrigerant use, climate change mitigation and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many countries are now involved in development of cooling action plans keeping in view the significant environmental benefits and the fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goals.
