Sustainability Language

Circular Economy & Materials

Cold Chain

The uninterrupted temperature-controlled supply chain that preserves perishable food, vaccines and medicines from production to consumption.

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Definition

The cold chain is the integrated system of refrigerated production, storage, transport and retail that keeps perishable goods within safe temperature ranges. UNEP and FAO estimate that around 14% of food is lost for want of effective cold chains, with food loss and waste overall generating roughly 4.4 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions.

References

UNEP

UNEP–FAO 2022 assessment; food-loss share and emissions; NCAPs and Cool Coalition

Overview

What it means

Weak cold chains convert into food loss, hunger, vaccine spoilage and unnecessary emissions simultaneously.

How it is used

National Cooling Action Plans — pioneered in India, Indonesia and Ghana — and the Cool Coalition coordinate efficient, low-refrigerant-impact cold chain expansion.

Why it matters

Expanding sustainable cold chains is one of the few interventions that cuts food loss, emissions and energy demand together.

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