A total of 30 stakeholders within the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector (RAC) in Grenada have begun the review process of a National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP).
The NCAP provides a concrete roadmap of short, medium- and long- term strategies for the implementation of climate-smart and energy-efficient cooling systems along with a supportive regulatory framework.
It was developed with input from a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Sector in Grenada, which was released earlier this year.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and Energy Dr. Kelvin George, Director of the Department of Economic and Technical Cooperation (DETC), called on stakeholders within the RAC sector to take an in-depth examination of the NCAP and to provide the National Ozone Unit (NOU) with valuable inputs for the enhancement and successful implementation of the Plan.
In his address to the participants he added, “I would also like to urge all the stakeholders to collectively work together in implementing the actions and strategies outlined in this plan to allow the country to meet it Montreal Protocol and UNFCCC goals and obligations”.
In 2015, it was observed that the RAC sector in Grenada contributed 29% of the total GHG emissions. In reaffirming Government’s support, Dr. George highlighted, “The need to address improvements in the energy efficiency of RAC equipment and the use of refrigerants with zero ozone depleting potential, as well as, very low global warming potential is of even greater significance now.”
Deputy Head of GIZ Grenada, Ms. Marion Geiss in addressing representatives from the local and regional RAC sector said, “With that plan, we describe a pathway to mitigate greenhouse gases through very specific activities in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector”.
One of the key messages given to stakeholders by Ms. Geiss was “Green cooling can save Lives, as by saving our climate, we save our planet and preserve our livelihood.”
National Ozone Officer within the National Ozone Unit (NOU) Mr. Leslie Smith, stated that Grenada is a front runner for the establishment of a national cooling action plan. He said “Grenada’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) review process has already included the incorporation of F-Gasses and energy efficiency in the RAC sector as key potential mitigation areas towards achieving the country’s NDC goals.”
The National Ozone Officer also stated that efforts are already underway between the National Ozone Unit and the Grenada Bureau of Standards to establish minimum energy performance standards for RAC appliances and an energy efficiency building code. These standards are expected to be in place by the end of 2021.
During the consultations, participants in working groups examined three (3) principal areas of the NCAP: (1) Building performance standards (2) Increase energy efficiency of unitary air-conditioning equipment and (3) Refrigerants and new technologies (shifting towards low GWP refrigerants)
The virtual workshop organized by the NOU within the Energy Division of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Physical Development, Public Utilities and Energy, was supported by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), as part of the global project “Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change” (C4).
A validation workshop is planned for the month of December 2020 to further examine the feedback from Thursday’s event. The vision of the NOU is to have the NCAP integrated into Grenada’s NDC for climate mitigation in 2021.
