Cooling today has become a developmental need and the government is committed to providing affordable cooling to the poor, said Bhupender Yadav, at the national dialogue on sustainable cooling organised by the council on energy, environment and water (CEEW) in New Delhi.
He said that we need to find sustainable cooling solutions, especially for the workers who are building our roads, highways, and metro networks. They have as much right to sustainable cooling as any of us.
India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was among one the first countries to launch a national cooling action plan (India cooling action plan) in March 2019, he said.
"The plan gives a long term vision to address the cooling requirement of India across sectors such residential and commercial building, transportation, cold chain and industries," Yadav said.
Yadav added that by supporting manufacturing and innovation in the cooling sector on one hand and committing to becoming net-zero on the other, India has provided the template for a sustainable agenda for a prosperous and climate-resilient future.
Yadav also released two CEEW studies ‘Technology Gaps in India’s Air-Conditioning Supply Chain’ and ‘Making Sustainable Cooling in India Affordable’ at the dialogue.
The CEEW studies highlighted that India needs to make available sustainable cooling options for its citizens as it aims to transition to a low-carbon and eventually a net-zero economy by 2070.
Promoting local manufacturing of energy-efficient appliances for cooling and refrigeration would also be crucial.