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 one of a six-part series.
The event brought together technical experts, development practitioners, and climate innovators to underscore the rising importance of sustainable cold chains in an era of climate disruption.
Cold chains – temperature-controlled systems critical for the storage and transport of perishable goods – are often overlooked but are increasingly central to efforts to combat food insecurity, support health systems, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. UNEP and partners used the event to present real-world solutions and successful models that are transforming supply chains from carbon-intensive weak points into climate-smart enablers of development and equity.
Cooling systems as infrastructure for equity and resilience
In his opening remarks, Angshuman Siddhanta, UNEP’s Sustainable Cold Chain Expert, framed cold chains not as auxiliary systems but as “critical infrastructure for development, climate and equity.” Siddhanta highlighted data showing that over 12% of global food production is lost annually due to inadequate refrigeration – equivalent to over 526 million tonnes of food. This loss not only impacts global nutrition and food security, but also generates avoidable emissions and economic loss, particularly for smallholder farmers.
Siddhanta spotlighted India’s recent progress: a new renewable-powered cold chain system in Haryana and Bihar’s first net-zero packhouse, part of a broader UNEP initiative to scale clean cold chains across the country. He described a pilot case where post-harvest cooling of Kinnow fruit led to a tenfold increase in farmer profits, 60% reduction in spoilage, and 16% drop in emissions — demonstrating how smart logistics can be transformational.
Cold chains as health lifelines
Maricel Castro of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasised the pivotal role cold chains play in health security. She called them “strategic lifelines,” essential for preserving the efficacy of vaccines and other temperature-sensitive medical supplies.