Cold Chain Live! Towards a Net Zero Cold Chain

摘要

With so much immediate challenge to deal with, it would be easy for us all to lose sight of the major changes in technology, customer demand and regulation driving decarbonisation of the cold chain. We mustn't ignore it because it will outlast and dwarf both Covid and Brexit in how it shapes our industry's future. It is vital that we all understand the impact this regulatory, financial and customer pressure will have on businesses involved in cold storage and temperature-controlled distribution in 2021, over the coming decade, and beyond. There is no leeway to wait until a quiet moment to make plans for a 'Net Zero' future. The first job is to know what 'net zero' means, not on the terms of politicians and campaigners, whose grandiose and apocalyptic words can often be so alienating, but on our terms. What would a carbon neutral cold chain look like in practice, does it mean zero-emission cold stores and vehicles? If so, what technologies could make this possible and in what timeframes, at what cost? Or does it mean warehouses and vehicles delivering efficient robust cold solutions as part of a wider 'net zero' food or pharmaceutical chain?