By Eamonn Ryan, derived from webinar
The UNEP Cool Coalition recently convened a global dialogue titled ‘Cold Chains for a Hot Planet: Cooling for Resilient Food and Health Systems’, an official side event of the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktaking Moment, held on 30 July 2025. This is part two of a six-part series.
Maricel Castro of the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed to the Gavi Cold Chain Equipment Optimisation Platform (CCEOP), which has deployed over 40 000 WHO pre-qualified refrigeration units globally. These systems – now increasingly powered by solar direct-drive (SDD) technology – have revolutionised vaccine storage, especially in fragile and off-grid health systems. In Niger, for example, SDD units have expanded immunisation capacity, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and eased workloads for health workers.
Crucially, Castro highlighted that investing in climate-smart cold chains is not merely about technical upgrades. It’s about equity, access and trust – ensuring communities in vulnerable regions can reliably receive life-saving medicines even amid climate shocks and infrastructure failures.
From the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ioannis Vaskalis shared how cold chains intersect with energy, agriculture and food systems – which together account for 30% of global energy use and 31% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Vaskalis reiterated the staggering figure of 526 million tonnes of food loss due to poor refrigeration and linked this to a broader failure in infrastructure that disproportionately affects regions already suffering from hunger, water stress and climate risks.
FAO is working in multiple regions to close these gaps:
- In East Africa, solar-powered milk coolers and decentralised hubs are improving hygiene and reducing losses in the dairy sector
- In the southern Mediterranean, FAO is targeting tomato, potato and onion value chains in Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, integrating renewable energy into cold storage systems
- For small-scale fisheries, FAO developed a technical guide to support solar-powered ice and refrigeration systems, helping reduce spoilage and empower coastal communities
These interventions are not just about reducing food loss; they are about empowering rural livelihoods, increasing market access, and promoting climate-smart agriculture that is both inclusive and economically viable.