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.

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