Indian Cooling Action Plan

What is the News?

The Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has informed Lok Sabha about the Indian Cooling Action Plan(ICAP).

What is the Indian Cooling Action Plan(ICAP)?

Released by: ​​ Ministry for Environment, Forest & Climate Change in 2019

Aim: To provide an integrated vision towards cooling across sectors encompassing, inter alia, reduction of cooling demand, refrigerant transition, enhancing energy efficiency and better technology options by 2037-38.

Click Here to read more about ICAP

What are the steps taken by the Government to implement ICAP?

Firstly, towards promoting passive cooling in buildings, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has brought out the Energy Conservation Building Code(ECBC) for all large commercial (non-residential) buildings.

Secondly, studies on promoting non-Ozone Depleting Substances(ODSs) and low Global Warming Potential based technologies in Cold Chain, Building sector and Public Procurement have been undertaken and reports have been published.

Thirdly, up-skilling and certification of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning(RAC) service technicians have been undertaken under the national skill qualification framework(NSQF) of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY).

What are the steps India has taken globally?

India has taken ambitious targets in support of global environmental  goals, as  evidenced in its:

– Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs) for combating Climate Change under the Paris Agreement,

– Ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol for phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons,

– Restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and conserving 30% of land and oceans by 2030.  

– India engaged constructively with all member states in the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in 2022 to develop consensus on the resolution for driving global action on plastic pollution. 

– India hosted the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2019 and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in 2020.

Source: This post is based on the article “Indian Cooling Action Plan” published in PIB on 15th Mar 2022.