Energy Foundation China, together with several key partners, launched the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program in China on Thursday as part of the country's broader push to spur global cooling efficiency.

The goal of K-CEP China is to maximize mitigation potential in residential and commercial air conditioning between 2018 and 2020, through projects such as higher energy efficiency standards, label development and market transformation.

Switching to low global warming potential refrigerants and increasing cooling efficiency is estimated to contribute to avoiding up to 1 degree of global warming by 2100.

The program comes into effect as China's urbanization boom raises demand on cooling and creates an urgency need to cut cooling-related pollution.

Expert said the initiative, of great strategic significance, would not only further strengthen China's role in promoting cooling efficiency but also make a greater contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

"We launched the initiative to boost the efficiency of China's refrigeration industry, contribute to the country's green development and facilitate the Made in China 2025 strategy," Zou Ji, president of Energy Foundation China, said at the launching ceremony.?

Dan Hamza-Goodacre, K-CEP's executive director, said China's increased efforts in this initiative would be beneficial to cut greenhouse gas emissions and accomplish the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

K-CEP is a collaboration among 18 foundations who jointly committed $52 million to help developing countries transition to energy efficient, climate-friendly and affordable cooling.

Key Chinese partners include the China National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the China National Institute of Standardization.

Over the past two decades, China has made great efforts to improve building efficiency and develop energy efficiency standards for home appliances, both of which are essential for cooling efficiency promotion.

The country produces over 130 million room air conditioners annually, accounting for 70 percent of the global market.