India working to eliminate harmful HCFC by 2020: Supriyo

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India is proactively working to completely phase out harmful ozone depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) by 2020, the environment ministry said on Monday.

On the World Ozone Day, Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo said the Ozone Cell of the ministry, along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is providing technical and financial assistance to foam manufacturing enterprises which use the substance.

"As part of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) phase out programme, India has proactively taken the challenge of complete phase out of HCFC 141b, which is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises, by January 1, 2020," Supriyo said at an event here.

India had in 2017 launched the plan to phase out HCFC under its ultimate goal to end use of harmful ozone-depleting substances (ODS) by switching over to non-ozone depleting and low global warming potential technologies.

The minister said his ministry has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) for providing competency enhancement of system houses and Micro, Small and Medium enterprises in foam manufacturing sector for ensuring smooth and sustainable phase out of HCFC-141b.

Supriyo said India became one of the first countries in the world to launch a comprehensive India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) in March 2019, which has a long-term vision to address the cooling requirement across sectors such as residential and commercial buildings, cold-chain, refrigeration, transport and industries.

He said that ICAP has been recognised globally as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on all countries to develop national cooling action plans.

"It is heartening to note that a step taken by India has led to a global recognition of this important policy initiative which can help in climate action and achievement of sustainable development goals," the minister said.

He pointed out that 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 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.

It also seeks to reduce cooling energy requirements by 25-40 per cent by 2037-38.

Supriyo also informed that the ministry was implementing a project jointly to enhance skills and provide certification to one lakh refrigeration and air-conditioning service technicians with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) under Skill India Mission - Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

"Training and certification of refrigeration and air-conditioning service technicians will allow securing environmental benefits and livelihood enhancement for technicians," the ministry said in a statement.