[pib] India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

Mains Paper 3: Environment | Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: ICAP and its provisions

Mains level: India’s efforts in phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances

India is one of the first countries in the world to develop a comprehensive Cooling Action plan.
It has a long term vision to address the cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand.

India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

The overarching goal of ICAP is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society.
It 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.
One of the major demand is to reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38 and refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38.

Why focus on cooling?

Cooling requirement is cross sectoral and an essential part for economic growth and is required across different sectors of the economy such as residential and commercial buildings, cold-chain, refrigeration, transport and industries
Cooling is also linked to human health and productivity.
Linkages of cooling with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are well acknowledged.
Its cross-sectoral nature of cooling and its use in development of the economy makes provision for cooling an important developmental necessity.

Benefits of the Plan

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.

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