India's action plan addresses cooling requirements across sectors: Union Minister Supriyo

New Delhi [India], Sept 16 (ANI): India is among the first countries to launch a comprehensive Cooling Action plan, which provides long-term vision to address cooling requirement across sectors such as residential and commercial buildings, cold-chain, refrigeration, transport and industries, said Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Monday.
Speaking at an event to mark the World Ozone Day here, Supriyo, who is Union Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) lists out actions, which can help reduce the cooling demand and help in reducing both direct and indirect emissions.
He said 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 achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The India Cooling Action seeks to reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20 per cent to 25 per cent by 2037-38, reduce refrigerant demand by 25 per cent to 30 per cent by 2037-38, reduce cooling energy requirements by 25 per cent to 40 per cent by 2037-38, recognise "cooling and related areas" as a thrust area of research under national science and technology programme and provide training and certification to 100,000 technicians by 2022-23, synergizing with Skill India Mission.
He said that as part of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) phase out programme, India has proactively taken the challenge of a complete phase-out of HCFC 141 b, which is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises by January 1, 2020. He said the Ozone Cell of the Ministry is providing technical and financial assistance to foam manufacturing enterprises along with UNDP. (ANI)