The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is accelerating the global transition to energy efficiency and climate-friendly cooling. Getting the right solutions in place for refrigeration and space conditioning (cooling) is essential for improving the quality of life and health of people without undue impacts on the planet.

United for Efficiency (U4E) is a global initiative, led by UNEP, launched in 2015 to help developing and emerging markets quickly and comprehensively transition to energy-efficient and climate-friendly lighting, space conditioning (cooling), refrigeration (equipment and comprehensive cold chains), electric motors and transformers.

The first Centre of Excellence, the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES), was established in 2020 by the Governments of Rwanda and the United Kingdom, U4E, the Centre for Sustainable Cooling, and a range of academic institutions. The University of Rwanda is the host of the Centre headquarters and has designated team and facilities, infrastructure, and land at its Rubirizi Campus in Kigali.

The design and establishment of Centres of Excellence in Haryana and Telangana will replicate the model of ACES and are aimed at the innovation for sustainable cold chain for food and pharma security and economic growth, including modal shifts, use of data, demonstration, delivery (including knowledge transfer) and skills capacity.

The purpose of the in-state Centres of Excellence in India are to:

• Conduct state-of-the-art applied research across key pillars of sustainable, equitable and resilient cold chain for food and pharma products.
• Provide capacity building, upskilling, and training for farmer producer organizations and mobilisers and other supply chain stakeholders including, among others, agri-startups and entrepreneurs, equipment technicians and researchers.
• Develop both an innovation and business hub and technology testing/demonstration centre.
• Connect indigenous and the UK (and wider industrial) experts, investors, agri-food businesses, farmer cooperatives, and energy or logistics providers, to support the delivery of affordable, resilient, low emission cold-chain systems in India in line with socio-economic and climate targets/national objectives.

The programme has been developed by the University of Birmingham, leading a consortium of UK universities (London South Bank, Heriot-Watt, and Cranfield), and U4E working with the UK and State Governments and industry.

The Centre for Sustainable Cooling will continue to provide the academic and technical research base, expertise, and framework to establish the Centres of Excellence in Sustainable Cooling and Cold chain. Along with the team in the UK at the partner Universities, the project team is looking to recruit experts to support the development and delivery of the programme in-country.

To support the operation of the Centres of Excellence in India UNEP is recruiting for five key positions.  The closing date for applications is 10 July 2023.  To find out more about each role, and to apply, click on the links below:

• Researcher for Haryana Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain
• Researcher for Telangana Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain
• Lead Expert, India Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain in Haryana
• Lead Expert, India Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain in Telangana
• Principal Expert for the India Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain

For more information on contact Alice Moreau, Partner Engagements and SPOKEs Lead, UNEP U4E, alice.moreau@un.org.