Author Archives: Mackenzie Dobson

World Cold Chain Symposium Convened Global Leaders, Created Dialogue on Food Loss and Waste

Washington, DC – Paris, France July 27, 2022 – The organizers Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction, the sponsor Carrier, and supporters Ozone Secretariat and the Cool Coalition, thank the speakers and audience members for their enthusiastic interest at the 2022 World Cold Chain Symposium, held on July 10th at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The Symposium, which included a diverse set of speakers from the private sector, government, international organizations, academia and non-profits, brought together a group representing more than 90 countries to share perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the expansion of the sustainable food cold chain. Today, the video recording of the Symposium is available for the public to view.

The Symposium focused on the theme of “Promoting the Sustainable Food Cold Chain: Pursuing the Action Agenda” and showcased speakers from UNEP (OzonAction and the Cool Coalition), the Ozone Secretariat, the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, U.S. Department of State, National Ozone Units and governments of India and Vietnam, industry representatives from the Global Food Cold Chain Council, the University of Birmingham and the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat. Speakers shared details of innovative cold chain initiatives in Somalia, the Philippines, India, Rwanda, and Vietnam. A session on financing options for the food cold chain featured the World Bank, the Multilateral Fund and the Green Climate Fund. The full speaker list is available on the Symposium website linked above.

The Symposium highlighted important themes that will be discussed at venues including those related to the Montreal Protocol and the Climate Conference of the Parties in 2022 and 2023. The dialogue included:

• The importance of cold chain data collection and analysis and tools and services available to developing countries.
• Encouragement of financial support for cold chain expansion projects consistent with the Rome Declaration on the Contribution of the Montreal Protocol to Food Loss Reduction through Sustainable Cold Chain Development
• Development of partner projects on agriculture and cold chain linkages
• Promote development and implementation of financial mechanisms under the Green Climate Fund, World Bank, other UN implementing agencies, and private sector interests

“The global community has embraced the need for and environmental and economic benefits of expansion of a sustainable cold chain,” said Kevin Fay, Executive Director of the Global Food Cold Chain Council. “This event showcases this building momentum on activities that will improve health, help the environment by reducing food loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste fresh water, and creating additional food and economic security.”

James Curlin, Head of UNEP OzonAction, said “The views expressed during the symposium demonstrate that a wide constellation of organizations, countries, and financial mechanisms consider an expanded and sustainable cold chain to be a vital common objective. The innovative initiatives described during the event were inspirational and gave us food for thought about the next steps we can take either as individuals or in collaboration. Opportunities to advance the sustainable cold chain abound, and need to be acted upon.”

WCCS Press Release – 2022 Success

United Nations and Industry Announce New Cooperating Sponsors for the World Cold Chain Symposium (WCCS)

Washington, DC – September 1, 2021 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are hosting a virtual World Cold Chain Symposium on Sept. 14, 2021, sponsored by Carrier Global Corporation. Participating sponsors for the event include Bitzer SE, Danfoss, Emerson, and Lennox. GFCCC and UNEP are now pleased to announce the World Cold Chain Symposium’s Cooperating Sponsors, including:

This announcement is important, and shows the widespread and growing support of the WCCS, as a significant effort to bring more industry experts and climate change specialists together recognize and pursue the need for creating sustainable and data-driven cold chains.

This virtual World Cold Chain Symposium is built around the theme of “Promoting Sustainable Cold Chain: From Data to Action,” to support the four pillars creating the GFCCC framework agenda. The WCCS is specifically planned to augment the discussion around advancing the cold chain agenda to achieve sustainability goals and eventually the development of cold chain expansion projects. The GFCCC Symposium coincides with other international policy events, including with UNEP OzonAction, which has already begun working towards these goals through the launch of its Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative.  This initiative was developed to assist developing countries in identifying their cold chain baselines in order to support the expansion of sustainable cold chain in their countries, reduce food loss and waste, and meet environmental objectives. The WCCS will highlight the steps already made, like the Database, but focus primarily on what the international community can do next for sustainable cold chains.

Information and Registration can be found at the Symposium website: wccs.foodcoldchain.org

UNEP is an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. OzonAction’s goal is to enable developing countries to meet and sustain their compliance obligations under the treaty.

GFCCC is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste, and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy efficient low-global warming potential technology.

WCCS Press Release – Cooperating Sponsors

Sponsors Announce Program for the Virtual World Cold Chain Symposium

Washington, DC August 30, 2021 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) OzonAction today announced speakers for their virtual World Cold Chain Symposium on Sept. 14, 2021. The Symposium, which is themed, “Promoting Sustainable Cold Chain: From Data to Action” will take place beginning at 9 AM EST. The program will be broken into two sessions, the first focused on the Global Outlook for Building a Sustainable Cold Chain, and the second highlighting Sustainable Cold Chain Technology and Initiatives.

WCCS sponsors are very pleased to announce these experts who will be participating and sharing their knowledge, as these speakers are at the very forefront of innovation working towards a sustainable cold chain:

Information and Registration can be found at the Symposium website: wccs.foodcoldchain.org

UNEP is an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. OzonAction’s goal is to enable developing countries to meet and sustain their compliance obligations under the treaty.

GFCCC is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste, and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy efficient low-global warming potential technology.

WCCS Press Release – Speakers

United Nations and Industry Team to Announce World Cold Chain Symposium: “Promoting Sustainable Cold Chain: From Data to Action”

Washington, DC August 12, 2021 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are convening for a virtual World Cold Chain Symposium on Sept. 14, 2021, sponsored by Carrier Global Corporation. The session “Promoting Sustainable Cold Chain: From Data to Action” will focus on: international policies and technology directions related to the sustainable cold chain solutions and their contribution to a global environmental and sustainable development agenda and discussing several ongoing industries supported initiatives and programs aimed at tackling the cold chain program in terms of data and tech assessment as well as technology selection and best practices.  Participants will include high-level expert representatives from government, industry, the international community and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are to participate.

There is growing recognition of the need for more attention and actions on sustainable cold chains for food security public health, environmental, and economic reasons. The symposium is one of a number of important international events that will explore the issue, including notably the upcoming United Nations Food System Summit in September, the next meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in October, and 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in October-November.

The symposium will highlight many efforts occurring within UNEP on this subject, including the Joint GFCCC/UNEP OzonAction database and modelling program, the work of the UNEP Cool Coalition, actions that support the Rome Declaration on the Contribution of the Montreal Protocol to Food Loss Reduction through Sustainable Cold Chain Development, and efforts to develop appropriate financial mechanisms for national capacity building and initiation of technology projects.

Information and Registration can be found at the Symposium website: wccs.foodcoldchain.org

“Great momentum is being created with national and international initiatives to reduce food loss and waste,” said Jim Curlin, Head of UNEP OzonAction, “Our goal is to encourage the adoption of cold chain technology that meets societal needs in an environmentally sustainable way, and thereby contributes to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals.”

The GFCCC and OzonAction recently announced the launch of the Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative. The initiative was developed to assist developing countries in identifying their cold chain baselines in order to support the expansion of sustainable cold chain in their countries , reduce food loss and waste, and meet environmental objectives.  The launch comes in advance of the United Nations Food Security Summit, and is key to the framework for supporting expansion of a sustainable cold chain on a global basis.

“The GFCCC/UNEP OzonAction Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative is just an important step in a global approach to reduce food loss and waste, increase food security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through expansion of a sustainable cold chain,” said GFCCC Executive Director Kevin Fay.

UNEP OzonAction has been strengthening the capacity of governments – particularly the operational focal points for the Montreal Protocol, known as National Ozone Units (NOUs) – and industry in developing countries to elaborate and enforce the policies required to implement the Protocol and to make informed decisions about alternative technologies. Its overall goal is to enable those countries to meet and sustain their compliance obligations under the treaty. OzonAction is part of UNEP’s Law Division.

GFCCC is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste, and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy efficient low-global warming potential technology.

GFCCC WCCS – Press Release

GFCCC & UNEP Announce the Launch of their Cold Chain Database and Modelling Initiative

Arlington, VA – July 26^th, 2021 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction announced the launch of their Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative.  The initiative marks the first formal step to assist developing countries in identifying their cold chain baseline in order to support the expansion of a sustainable cold chain and thereby help to reduce food loss and waste.  The launch comes in advance of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, and is key to the framework proposed by GFCCC for supporting the expansion of a sustainable cold chain on a global basis.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), between 30 and 40 percent of food grown annually is lost or wasted. In a follow-on study last year conducted by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), it was projected that more effective cold chain utilization could reduce this loss rate by approximately one third.  With support provided by the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund, the Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative is currently being piloted in six countries –  Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Maldives, North Macedonia, Paraguay, and Senegal.  From these pilot data gathering initiatives, a model is being developed that will allow the projection of benefits of cold chain expansion.

“The analyses generated by this tool will help countries build their national policy and action framework for more efficient cold chain utilization and increased food security, which is necessary if we are to achieve the Zero Hunger objective embodied in UN Sustainable Development Goal 2. At the same time, the Cold Chain Database will help advance environmental protection by identifying opportunities for lower global warming potential refrigerants and more energy efficient equipment, which will help reduce both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions” said James Curlin, Head of UNEP OzonAction. “It is important that the UN, industry, governments, and NGOs collectively help developing countries build sustainable food cold chains to reap these multiple societal benefits.”

The database and modeling effort is the first phase of the GFCCC framework agenda to identify and highlight the benefits of cold chain expansion, the development of a technology matrix to achieve these benefits, GFCCC program focused initially on capacity building in national governments, and ultimately the development of sustainable cold chain expansion projects.  “The framework we are proposing will allow countries to expand their cold chain sustainably, thereby increasing food security, expanding economic opportunity, and realizing significant environmental benefits,” said GFCCC Executive Director Kevin Fay.  “It is a road map that the international community can embrace.”

The Cold Chain Database concept, methodology and data collection questionnaires are offered to interested countries and partners to help in assessing local cold chain capacities and designing respective action plans and policies. For more details, please visit the following link:

http://www.foodcoldchain.org/resources/cold-chain-initiative/

UNEP, through its OzonAction Branch at Law Division, has been strengthening the capacity of governments – particularly the operational focal points for the Montreal Protocol, known as National Ozone Units (NOUs) – and industry in developing countries to elaborate and enforce the policies required to implement the Protocol and to make informed decisions about alternative technologies. Its overall goal is to enable those countries to meet and sustain their compliance obligations under the treaty.

GFCCC is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste, and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy efficient low-global warming potential technology.

GFCCC-UNEP OzonAction Cold Chain Modelling Press Release