Why in News?

• On the eve of the World Ozone Day (17th Sept.), MoEFCC underlined the need to work consistently under the aegis of the Montreal Protocol to phase out Ozone Depleting Substances.

India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP):

• MoEFCC released the draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) and a booklet on ‘Montreal Protocol – India’s Success Story’.
• India is the first country in world to develop such a document (ICAP), which addresses cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand.
• The overarching goal is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society.
• The goals emerging from the suggested interventions stated in ICAP are:
• Reduction of cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25 % by year 2037-38,
• Reduction of refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by year 2037-38,
• Reduction of cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by year 2037-38, and
• Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by the year 2022-23, in synergy with Skill India Mission.

Long -term objectives of ICAP:

• The broad objectives of the India Cooling Action Plan include –
• Assessment of cooling requirements across sectors in next 20 years and the associated refrigerant demand and energy use,
• Map the technologies available to cater the cooling requirement including passive interventions, refrigerant-based technologies and alternative technologies such as not-in-kind technologies,
• Suggest interventions in each sector to provide for sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all,
• Focus on skilling of RAC service technicians, and
• Develop an R&D innovation ecosystem for indigenous development of alternative technologies.

Montreal Protocol:

• It is the only environmental treaty which enjoys universal ratification of 197 UN numbers countries.
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has been recognized as the most successful international environment treaty in history.
• Its implementation has not only led to the phase-out of around 98% of ozone depleting chemicals, but also averted more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
• Nearly 2 million cases of skin cancer per year have been averted globally.