The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) has developed an innovative model to calculate CO2 emissions for each stage of the cold chain and for all countries in the world.
The model allows the IIR to compare the CO2 emissions associated with the current global cold chain with those of an "improved" cold chain.
The latter corresponds to a reasonable assumption in which the cold chain in all countries is brought to the same level of equipment and performance as that existing in developed countries.
Modelling found that an improved cold chain (based on these principles) would allow a reduction of almost 50 per cent of the CO2 emissions of the current cold chain.
This improved cold chain would also avoid 55 per cent of the food losses attributable to the current cold chain.
According to IIR estimates, 12 per cent of food produced globally in 2017 was lost due to an insufficient cold chain.
A more extensive cold chain would limit the need to increase agricultural production to compensate for these losses and avoid the corresponding CO2 emissions.
This raises the question of whether the additional CO2 emissions resulting from the implementation of a more extensive cold chain are not greater than the emissions avoided by reducing food losses due to a lack of refrigeration.
A summary outlining the main conclusions and recommendations are available at:
https://iifiir.org/en/news/new-iir-informatory-note-on-the-carbon-footprint-of-the-cold-chain