Mumbai: Environment Ministry to collaborate with 8 IITs for R&D of chemicals with low global warming potential

India’s contribution to the Montreal Protocol in terms of policy formulation is noteworthy, India has played a proactive role in the phase-out of production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances. This was stated by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Labour and Employment Bhupendra Yadav at a programme organized to observe the 28th World Ozone Day in Mumbai on Friday. He said India is among the countries which have stated that the country's sustainable development will be such that net zero is achieved by 2070.

The Minister informed that the Ministry will soon be entering into collaboration with eight Indian Institutes of Technology (Bombay, Roorkee, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Guwahati, Banaras, Madras and Delhi) to promote research and development of chemicals with low global warming potential, including blends. These can be used as alternatives to substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol. ‘’The collaborative research will be done in line with industry requirements through the engagement of research scholars, leading to the development of a robust R&D ecosystem in this area, and will also help promote the Make in India initiative of the Government,’’ he said.

Yadav said that India has not been a traditional contributor to global emissions, but that in our actions, we are showing the intent to be a problem solver. Stating that the world is facing climate crisis because of wasteful use of energy, the Minister called for adopting the mantra of L.I.F.E (Lifestyle for Environment) which was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in line with the concept of sustainable lifestyle, encouraging us to adopt mindful and not mindless consumption and utilization of resources.

Minister also highlighted the goals of the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), which is a vision document developed by the MoEFCC to provide socio-economic and environmental benefits related to reduced refrigerant use, climate change mitigation and Sustainable Development Goals over the period 2037-38.