Cooling is a critical element for the sustainability and development of any economy. Air conditioners and refrigerators provide essential services in the year round tropical climate of the Caribbean, ensuring that our homes, offices, and cars are comfortable; that industrial processes run safely and efficiently and foods and medicines are well preserved. Notwithstanding, cooling can also have a significant negative impact on the environment due to its contribution to global warming.
The refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector contributes to global warming directly, through the emission of refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to the atmosphere, and indirectly through the energy demand of the equipment used in the RAC sector. Research has shown that without effective mitigating action, cooling may well account for almost 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The Department of Sustainable Development has been leading Saint Lucia’s effort towards sustainable cooling through the development of a National Cooling Strategy (NCS). This strategy was developed through a consultative process and benefited from the input of key stakeholders such as the National Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Association (NARA), Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS), Department of Infrastructure Ports and Energy; Customs and Excise Department, St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Funding for this initiative was provided by the Kigali Cooling for Efficiency Programme (K-CEP) and technical support from UN Environment’s Cooling for Efficiency Programme (U4E).
The purpose of the NCS is to provide context and a vision for transforming Saint Lucia’s market for cooling solutions, including refrigerators and air conditioners, to more climate-friendly technologies. It provides an integrated policy and strategic approach that includes minimum energy performance standards (MEPS); and energy labelling; funding and financial mechanisms; market monitoring, verification of product performance and enforcement of regulations (MVE); environmentally-sound management and safe handling of products; and awareness raising and capacity building. This is critical as Saint Lucia prepares to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which calls for countries to reduce their consumption of HFCs by 85% by 2045.
Implementation of the NCS can contribute to reducing electricity wastage; reduce consumer expenditure on utility bills; provide comfort while reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and increase the skill sets of local RAC technicians as it relates to the use more climate friendly technologies in the cooling sector. For more information on Saint Lucia’s National Cooling Strategy, please contact the National Ozone Unit of the Department of Sustainable Development via telephone 468-5833/468-5804/468-5806.
