Author Archives: Mackenzie Dobson

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Sponsors Announce Agenda for the 2024 World Cold Chain Symposium

Category : Press Release

Washington, DC October 11, 2024 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) OzonAction today announced speakers for the 2024 World Cold Chain Symposium on October 26, 2024. The Symposium, which is themed, “Building a Sustainable Cold Chain” will take place beginning at 1:00 PM local time in Bangkok, Thailand. The program will be broken into four sessions, emphasizing the end-to-end development of a sustainable cold chain, including: data gathering and modeling, technology innovation, training and servicing, and finance mechanisms.

WCCS sponsors are very pleased to announce the agenda and invited speakers for this event, who will be sharing their knowledge and experiences of both developing and growing sustainable cold chain development with participants. The welcoming speaker is Meg Seki, Ozone Secretariat for the United Nations Environment Programme. Opening remarks will also be provided by Ed Dryden, President of Refrigeration for Carrier Corporation. Other speakers invited include:

  • Session 1: The Impact and Benefits of the Cold Chain
    • Rajan Rajendran, Co-Chair of RTOC, TEAP
    • Nihar Shah, Presidential Director, Global Cooling Efficiency Program, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
    • Marco Duran, Director of Policy and Global Partnerships Department, IIR
    • Aaron Friedman-Heiman, University of Michigan
    • Shelie Miller, Professor at the University of Michigan
  • Session 2: Technology for Cold Chains – Connecting the Dots
    • Greg Brooker, ANZ Refrigerant Specialist, ACTROL
    • Andrea Voigt, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Sustainability & Communications, Danfoss
    • Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Director, Global Climate Policy, Trane Technologies
    • Devendra Gupta, CEO and Founder, Ecozen Solutions
  • Session 3: Training, Servicing and Capacity Building Issues – Challenges and Opportunities
    • Jeanne de Crepy, Project Manager, Supply Chain, UN World Food Program
    • Richard Scotney, Global Energy Efficiency Lead, World Wildlife Fund
    • Jim Curlin, Head, UNEP OzonAction
    • Pramod Singh, Senior Director, Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy
  • Session 4: Momentum in Financing Opportunities and Mechanisms
    • Tina Birmpili, Chief Officer, Multilateral Fund
    • Jonathan Naimon, Managing Partner, Sustana Cooling Partners
    • Rajchanee Chanawatr, Principal Investment Officer, IFC

Information and Registration can be found at the Symposium website: https://wccs.performedia.com/

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.


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United Nations and Industry Team to Announce 2024 World Cold Chain Symposium: “Building a Sustainable Cold Chain”

Category : Press Release

Washington, DC October 3, 2024 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are convening for the fourth annual World Cold Chain Symposium on Oct. 26, 2024, sponsored by Carrier Global Corporation. The program will be held at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok, Thailand, ahead of the 36th Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties. The theme for this year’s event is Building a Sustainable Cold Chain, to highlight the different facets that coalesce to create a sustainable cold chain from start to finish. Participants and speakers will include diverse high-level expert representatives from the private sector, government, international organizations, academia and non-profit organizations. A recording of the session will be available after the event.

This year’s Symposium will highlight the end-to-end development of a sustainable cold chain, including: data gathering and modeling to establish the best practices for an entity’s local and regional needs, the development of financing mechanisms for implementation, human capacity building to ensure the longevity of both technology and processes, and the technology needed at all levels. This holistic approach, which will examine from all sides the necessary components for the development of a sustainable cold chain, takes the high-level concepts from previous Symposiums and combines them into a realistic discussion on the concrete key actions needed to begin the building of a cold chain.

The sessions comprising the Symposium include:

  1. The Impact and Benefits of the Cold Chain
  2. Technology for Cold Chains – Connecting the Dots
  3. Training and Servicing Issues – Challenges and Opportunities
  4. Momentum in Financing Opportunities and Mechanisms

As cooling and cold chains gain more recognition internationally, the examination of the different pieces of the puzzle coming together to build sustainable cold chains is key to its expansion. The Symposium is one of several important international events that explore all the areas of importance in cooling and cold chain implementation, including notably this year’s Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund Executive Committee Meetings, the Montreal Protocol Open-Ended Working Group Meeting, and the upcoming 36th Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties (MOP36), 29th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29), and others. Last year, the dialogue progressed through the United Nations Food Systems Summit, MOP35, and COP28.  The Symposium and its sponsors plan continue the dialogue and provide more context to the challenges and opportunities of developing a sustainable cold chain ahead of the upcoming events.  

“The expansion of sustainable cold chain activities as a means of reducing food loss and waste and greenhouse gas emissions has been gaining momentum internationally, and as more focus is placed on the topic, more opportunities arise,” said Kevin Fay, Executive Director of the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC). “GFCCC and our co-sponsors are excited to highlight these activities through the 2024 World Cold Chain Symposium as the world moves to promote an environmentally sustainable and economically feasible cold chain expansion.”

For event information, including registration for the program and reception, please visit wccs.performedia.com or email dobson@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. 


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2023 World Cold Chain Symposium, Focused on Sustainable Growth in Cold Chain Activities, Replay Now Available Online

Sponsors Thank Speakers and Audience for the Successful Live Event and Enthusiastic Interest in Watching the Impactful Symposium Online

Washington, DC – December 15, 2023 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and its partners the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction and the Cool Coalition, and its sponsor Carrier, announced today that the replay of the 2023 World Cold Chain Symposium is now available online, and thank the speakers and live audience members once again for their participation at the Symposium, which occurred live in Nairobi, Kenya on the eve of the U.N. Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties on October 21st. The Symposium brought together leaders from government, industry, foundations and academia to discuss the means of reducing food loss and waste through sustainable expansion of the food cold chain.

The 2023 Symposium focused on the theme of “Sustainable Growth: Building Business Models for Cold Chain Development” and took advantage of the proximity to African nations, featuring several cold chain projects taking place in Africa to highlight the successes of these activities and the opportunities to further expand on a global scale. The program featured opening remarks from Tim White, President of Carrier Refrigeration, and keynote speeches from Hans Hoogeveen, Independent Chairperson of the Council of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Meg Seki, Executive Director of the U.N. Ozone Secretariat, and David Mutisya, Acting Director for Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy for Kenya. The full speaker list is available on the Symposium website linked above.

The Symposium featured discussions on the ability to reduce food loss and waste as part of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol process and emphasized its work to support data gathering, as well as the importance of building business models and finance mechanisms that would facilitate sustainable cold chain expansion. Three panel sessions focused on:

  1. Impacts and challenges of project implementation by local project representatives.
  2. Importance of supporting local entrepreneurs to develop sustainable cold chain systems through the development of best business models and practices by major project sponsors.
  3. Technology roundtable: Importance of technology innovation in the cold chain.

“The global community now better understands the need for, and the 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 emphasizes that, while much work has already been done to support the expansion of the cold chain, the global community must continue to work together to comprehensively establish sustainable cold chain systems that are self-reliant, and that harbor growth and technological innovations after initial investments conclude.”

Hans Hoogeveen, Independent Chair of the FAO Council, said, “Governments are beginning to understand that they cannot fight the battle against food insecurity alone. The activities that result from the combination of government work, primarily performed through multilateral organizations, private sector capacity and technological innovations, and local community involvement will be the solution to address widespread hunger, and sustainable cold chain expansion is a key component. I applaud Kevin Fay and the Global Food Cold Chain Council for stepping up to lead in of the expansion cold chain sector, and appreciate the knowledge shared at the World Cold Chain Symposium.”

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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.

UNEP OzonAction 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.

WCCS Press Release – 2023 Live Recording Announcement


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United Nations and Industry Team to Announce 2023 World Cold Chain Symposium: Sustainable Growth: Building Business Models for Cold Chain Development

Washington, DC Aug. 8, 2023 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are convening for the third annual World Cold Chain Symposium on Oct. 21, 2023, sponsored by Carrier Global Corporation. The program will be held at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of the 35th Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties. The theme for this year’s event is Sustainable Growth: Building Business Models for Cold Chain Development, as a logical next step after 2022’s World Cold Chain Symposium that focused on financial mechanisms for developing projects. Participants and speakers will include diverse high-level expert representatives from the private sector, government, international organizations, academia and non-profit organizations. A recording of the session will be available after the event.

This year’s Symposium will showcase the successes of the operations and strategies of existing projects and the benefits of building efficient and sustainable business models for the development of the cold chain around the globe. The theme calls attention to the need for the project sponsor to support the local organization in developing business practices that ensure the project’s long-term self-reliance, viability and efficacy. The program will focus on projects underway within Africa and supported by numerous public and private sector organizations.

There continues to be a 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 several important international events that explore the issue, including notably the United Nations Food Systems Summit held in July and the upcoming 35th Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties (MOP35) in late October, and the 28th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in November-December. The Symposium and its sponsors plan to assist in furthering the dialogue already discussed and provide more context of the intricacies of developing a sustainable cold chain ahead of the upcoming events.

“The World Cold Chain Symposium will once again bring together the world’s leading experts and some of the most innovative actors to focus on finance mechanisms that can reduce food loss and waste, boost global food supply, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kevin Fay, Executive Director of the Global Food Cold Chain Council.

For event information, including registration for program and reception, please email dobson@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 – 2023 Announcement

SAVE THE DATE WCCS 2023


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

Category : Press Release

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

 


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

Category : Press Release

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:

  • The International Institute of Refrigeration
  • UNEP’s Climate and Clean Air Coalition
  • UNEP’s Cool Coalition
  • The Green Climate Fund
  • Refrigerants Australia
  • The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment
  • The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
  • The Champions 12.3 Coalition

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


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Sponsors Announce Program for the Virtual World Cold Chain Symposium

Category : Press Release

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:

Global Outlook for Building a Sustainable Cold Chain Sustainable Cold Chain Technology and Initiatives
Tim White, President of Refrigeration, Carrier

Meg Seki, Executive Secretary, UNEP Ozone Secretariat

Shri Vikas Chaube, Joint Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India

*Rick Duke, Senior Advisor and White House Liaison for the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and Co-Chair UNEP Climate and Clean Air Coalition

Craig Hanson, Vice President for Food, Forest, Water, & the Ocean, World Resources Institute, and Champions 12.3

*Honorable Hans Hoogeveen, Independent Chair of the FAO Council

*Honorable Minister Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Ministry of Environment, Rwanda

 

*to be confirmed

Jim Curlin, Head of OzonAction Law Division, UNEP

Sarah Glaser, Director, Secure Fisheries, One Earth Future

Ray Gluckman, Managing Director, Gluckman Consulting

Esben Larsen, Director of Faith and Sustainability, WRI

Mustafe Mohamoud, Field Manager for Secure Fisheries, One Earth Future

Toby Peters, Professor Cold Economy, University of Birmingham

Lily Riahi, Coordinator, UNEP’s Cool Coalition

Oyun Sanjaasuren, Director of External Affairs, Green Climate Fund

Lindiwe Sibanda, Co-Chair, Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (Africa)

Lieke Verhofstad, Business Development Manager of Global Food and Agriculture Networks, Rabobank

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


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

Category : Press Release

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


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Pointing the way to a sustainable cold chain

Category : In The Media

From the Cooling Post:

The Cold Chain Database and Modelling initiative, launched by the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction, is seen as being key to the framework proposed by GFCCC for supporting the expansion of a sustainable cold chain on a global basis. It was published in advance of next month’s United Nations Food Systems Summit…

“The framework we are proposing will allow countries to expand their cold chain sustainably, thereby increasing food security, expanding economic opportunity, and realising 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.

Read more…


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

Category : Press Release

Arlington, VA – July 26th, 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