The high cost of transition from conventional refrigerants, such as hydroflurocarbons (HFCs), could be a major deterrent in the upcoming negotiations on the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to research by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), which was released on Tuesday, the cost of transition from HFCs to other refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP) for India between 2015 and 2050 would be 12 billion euros for the Indian proposal and 34 billion euros for the North American proposal. This wide gap could prove to be a potential road block.
The Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change said in a statement it was conducting collaborative research to develop low GWP alternatives to HFCs keeping in mind the specific needs and challenges of India.
Anil Madhav Dave, Minister of State for Environment, while addressing a roundtable discussion organised by the Ministry, CEEW and Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), said India needs to focus on issues such as energy efficiency, using CSR for research and development, and also on-demand side management – changing architecture and consumption patterns to reduce cooling needs.