India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) was launched in March 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It makes India one of the first countries in the world to develop a comprehensive 20-year strategic document to address cooling requirements across various sectors.

Core Thematic Areas

• Space Cooling in Buildings: Promoting “passive cooling” through better building design and energy-efficient ACs.
• Cold Chain: Developing integrated “farm-to-fork” infrastructure.
• Transport Air Conditioning: Improving efficiency in railways, buses, and cars.
• Refrigeration & Air Conditioning (RAC) Servicing: Reducing refrigerant leakage through better maintenance.
• Refrigerant Transition: Moving toward low-Global Warming Potential (GWP) alternatives.
• Indigenous R&D: Developing “Made in India” cooling technologies.

The ICAP is designed to align with India’s international commitments:

• Montreal Protocol: Specifically the Kigali Amendment, which aims for a phase-down of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
• Paris Agreement: Contributing to India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by reducing energy-related emissions.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Primarily SDG 3 (Health), SDG 7 (Affordable Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).