India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
Recently, the Lok Sabha has been informed about the measures taken to implement the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP).
The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) was launched in the year 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The ICAP provides a 20-year vision and outlines the actions needed to provide access to sustainable cooling.
ICAP has the following goals:
- To reduce the cooling demand in all sectors from 20% to 25% by the year 2037-38.
- Reducing refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by the year 2037-38.
- Reducing electricity requirement for cooling from 25% to 40% by the year 2037-38.
- To recognize “cooling and related areas” as a major area of research under National Science and Technology Programme.
- To provide training and certification to 1,00,000 technicians in the servicing sector by the year 2022-23 in coordination with the Skill India Mission.
- Steps taken to implement thematic areas of ICAP:
- The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) for all large commercial (non-residential) buildings and the Eco-Residence Code (ECBC-R) for residential buildings has been implemented.
- The Department of Science and Technology has funded a research project to promote indigenous development of a refrigerant that would contribute least to global warming.
- A study has been conducted to develop safety standards for flammable refrigerants in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, 43,450 technicians (related to refrigeration and air conditioning servicing) have been given skill development certificates.
Source – The Hindu