Category Archives: Press Release

  • June 26, 2020
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GFCCC Proud to Sponsor Second Annual World Refrigeration Day

Category : Press Release

Washington, DC –June 26, 2020–As the annual World Refrigeration Day kicks off today, Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) is proud to announce that this year’s event was made possible through sponsorship by our coalition. Theinternational webinar, themed Cold Chain 4 Life, aims to address the importance of the Cold Chain sector and its vital role to food production, food processing, food retail, healthcare, transportation, and more.

“The ColdChain4Life webinar presents a needed opportunity to reach out to the public, government, and end users describing the value of the cold chain.We hope to come together to solve global problems in this space by motivating adoption of best practices such as critical research and development, simple and serviceable technology, and a stable system,” said Co–Chair Rajan Rajendran, with Emerson Climate Technologies, who is scheduled to speak during the event.

Held annually, World Refrigeration Day invites a global audience to hear from stakeholders and government organizations. Sponsored and organized by GFCCC, the other partners of the ColdChain4Life campaign include the UN Environment Programme, ASHRAE, European Partnership for Energy and Environment, International Institute of Refrigeration, and the WRD Secretariat. Along with the free ColdChain4Life webinar, World Refrigeration Day uses their distribution materials to promote more than 800 physical events in over 150 countries. With the goals of the day aligning closely with the global sustainable food cold chain mission, GFCCC hopes to use the event to bring attention to their own activity and to promote expansion of a sustainable food cold chain.

In and out of World Refrigeration Day, GFCCC is working with governments, industry and NGO partners to reduce food loss and waste, expand our food supply, and ensure efficient water supply management. It is urging governments to work through UNEP, the Montreal Protocol, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and the Champions 12.3 program to achieve these objectives.

“Through our data–gathering initiative, Prieur Memorial Research Fund, and international partnerships, we have been busy to ensure that our approach will echo the meaningful efforts of World Refrigeration Day in the development of a sustainable food cold chain,” Rajendran later added.

GFCCC WRD Press Release

  • April 22, 2020
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50th Anniversary of Earth Day Highlights Continued Need for Food Security

Category : Press Release

Washington, DC – APRIL 22, 2020 – On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Global Food Cold Chain Council restates their intent to continually expand their initiatives to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With an evolving data gathering initiative and a research fund dedicated to similar activities, GFCCC aims to widen their portfolio to secure a healthy environment and secure food supply.

“Earth Day presents a visible opportunity to evaluate our past activity and plot a path forward for the environment. We are pleased to spearhead a data-driven project that will directly address food loss and waste and the greenhouse gas emissions that accompany it,” Co-Chair Rajan Rajendran, with Emerson Climate Technologies, said that, “On this day we are reminded that this is an urgent issue that has attracted global action and attention.”

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that CO2 emissions from food loss and waste exceed 4 billion tons of CO2 equivalent. If food loss and waste emissions were ranked among absolute country emissions, it would the third largest source of CO2 emissions worldwide.

“Through our international reach, we will take tangible steps to greatly reduce this number.” Rajendran added. “Our data-gathering project is organized in conjunction with the UN Environment OzonAction program and is making great progress to aggregate a baseline establishment of the cold chain in developing countries.”

The Global Food Cold Chain Council: GFCCC was launched in 2014 and has been a leader in the dialogue of means to address food loss and waste. It coincides with international efforts underway in the Montreal Protocol, in the Paris Climate Agreement, and as part of the efforts to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address food loss and waste and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions.

GFCCC Earth Day Press Release FINAL

  • August 21, 2019
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Global Food Cold Chain Council Launches Research Fund in Honor of Cold Chain Visionary, Eric Prieur

Category : Press Release

Washington, DC (August 21, 2019)— The “Eric Prieur Memorial Research Fund for Cold Chain Sustainability” has been created by the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and made possible by a grant from Carrier. The fund honors late Carrier employee, Eric Prieur, who served as director, Cold Chain Sustainability, and was among those tragically lost in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019. Eric approached the global topic of sustainability, and particularly that of food loss and waste, with great energy and passion. In his role with Carrier’s refrigeration business, Eric was often called upon to speak at events around the world and increased Carrier’s level of participation and leadership on a global scale. Carrier will seed the fund with two annual, consecutive donations of $50,000.

The Eric Prieur Memorial Fund will support the mutual goals of GFCCC and Carrier by helping to reduce food loss and waste and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions and water waste, while increasing global awareness for and expansion of a sustainable food cold chain. As such, the fund will be used to develop case studies and refine data through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and advance other key sustainable cold chain activities in developing countries, including development of pilot projects and case studies.

“Eric gave unselfishly, heart and soul, to a movement that was greater than himself, and he did it with grace, sincerity, good humor and friendship that we will never forget,” said Jon Shaw, director, Sustainability, Carrier Transicold & Refrigeration Systems. “He was at the forefront of leading real change with projects in India, Vietnam and the Philippines, and the designation of this fund is meant to ensure that his good work continues to benefit cold chain development around the world.”

As one of the founding members of the GFCCC, Eric forged relationships with organizations such as UNEP, the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Fund.

“The creation of this important fund, which honors Eric’s work and vision to reduce food waste and support sustainable cold chain activity, will expand and encourage greater participation among our members and other interested parties,” said Kevin Fay, Executive Director, Global Food Cold Chain Council.

Individuals or organizations wishing to join the GFCCC and its members to make non-tax deductible contributions to the fund in Eric’s name may do so via credit card at http://www.foodcoldchain.org/the-eric-prieur-memorial-research-fund/# or by sending a check payable to the Eric Prieur Memorial Research Fund, 2111 Wilson Blvd, 8th Floor, Arlington, Virginia 22201, U.S.A.

Eric Prieur Memorial Fund Press Release

  • March 22, 2019
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GFCCC Mourns Loss of Colleague

Category : Press Release

Eric Prieur, Director of Cold Chain Sustainability at Carrier Corporation, died tragically on the ill-fated Ethiopian Air flight 302, en-route to Nairobi for the United Nations Environment Assembly Conference. Prieur was to make a presentation on behalf of the Global Food Cold Chain Council on food loss and waste. He had great energy and passion on the topic of sustainability. Global Food Cold Chain offers its deepest condolences to his colleagues, friends, and family.

GFCCC Mourns Loss of Colleague Eric Prieur

  • March 18, 2019
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Kevin Fay, Executive Director Becomes a Champion

Category : Press Release

Kevin Fay, Executive Director of Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) Joins Champions 12.3 Program

At the 2015 United Nations General Assembly, countries of the world formally adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. SDG 12 seeks to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” The third target under this goal (Target 12.3) calls for cutting in half per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reducing food losses along production and supply chains (including post-harvest losses) by 2030.

To help convert Target 12.3 into reality, the global multi-stakeholder summit “No More Food to Waste” proposed the idea of developing a group of executives who would champion the cause of achieving SDG Target 12.3 or Champions 12.3. During the United Nations General Assembly’s Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, the government of The Netherlands formally called for its formation.

Champions 12.3 is a coalition of executives from governments, businesses, international organizations, research institutions, farmer groups, and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress towards achieving SDG Target 12.3 by 2030.

The Global Food Cold Chain Alliance works to identify, develop and promote technology- neutral policies and actions to reduce the food cold chain waste contribution to greenhouse gas emissions; we support solutions that are energy efficient and reliant on low-GWP compounds and equipment; we work to identify and develop standards and practices to increase access to the food cold chain and reduce food waste; and we actively seek to engage and influence international and national bodies, including the FAO, CCAC, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Montreal Protocol.

The Global Food Cold Chain Alliance is actively working to improve our understanding of the importance of the cold chain in reducing food waste and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are exciting to have Kevin Fay represent us as a Champion.

Champion 12.3

  • March 18, 2019
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November 2018- G-20 Summit Updates

Category : Press Release

G-20 Update

  • December 4, 2015
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Study Highlights Importance of Food Cold Chain in Reducing Food Waste GHG Emissions

Category : Press Release

Paris, France (December 4, 2015) — A study released today by the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) highlights the importance of refrigeration technology in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste. According to a study by Bio Intelligence Service, a member of the Deloitte network1, expansion of the food cold chain in developing countries could reduce net food waste greenhouse gas emissions by 180-550 million tons of CO2 equivalent annually between now and 2050, representing more than a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint of food waste currently due to the lack and/or inefficiencies of cold chains2. GFCCC Executive Director Kevin Fay said, “It is important that we remain focused on all aspects of potential for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, especially those associated with food waste. Technology offers substantial savings today and in the future as new innovations evolve.”

In 2013, the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that if food waste were a country3, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, second only to China and United States. The GFCCC was organized under another initiative of the United Nations, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), to address the potential for reducing the contribution of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as a component of HFC climate policy. GFCCC Executive Director Fay emphasizes that there are significant opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from this sector by expanding the cold chain, particularly in developing countries, improving the energy efficiency of the equipment being utilized, and transitioning the equipment from relying on high-global warming potential HFCs, to low- global warming potential (GWP) compounds and technologies, including HFO’s, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and ammonia. The Deloitte study was tasked with identifying net benefits and impacts that took in to account energy consumption and HFC emissions as a result of cold chain expansion.

The GFCCC was organized to address the usage of HFCs, and its member companies remain committed to this effort, but has also examined the benefit of additional savings in the sector. The Council is supporting a proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol treaty to facilitate the transition away from high-GWP HFC technology. In addition, it is encouraging policymakers to improve capacity building for developing countries to understand the benefits of cold chain expansion in reducing food waste and thereby significantly enhancing the environmental benefits. The food cold chain consumes about 20% of global HFC usage currently, and energy consumption by the technology is an important factor in its overall GHG contribution. “Effective policy approaches that capture the food waste reduction, improve energy efficiency, and transition away from high-GWP HFCs provide an overwhelmingly cost-effective GHG reduction initiative,” said Fay, “that also helps reduce hunger and improve more effective utilization of precious water supplies.”

1 “Deloitte” refers to one or several firms that are members of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), a UK company limited by guarantee and its network of member firms organized in legally separate and independent entities. To know more about the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms please visit www.deloitte.com/about. In France, Deloitte SAS is the member firm of DTTL and professional services are rendered by its subsidiaries and affiliates. As such, DTTL does not provide professional services to clients, or direct, manage, control or own any interest in any member firm or any member firm’s affiliated entities. Consequently, neither DTTL nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names “Deloitte”, “Deloitte & Touche”, “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu” or other related names.

2 This is an extract of a complete study that was prepared by BIO Intelligence Service for the Global Food Cold Chain Council (“GFCCC”) with support from United Technologies (“UTC”). This study presents an assessment of the potential of the cold chain sector to reduce GHG emissions through food loss and waste reduction. The study was prepared for GFCCC’s and UTC’s use to meet specific requirements and may not be used by any third party independent of the GFCCC and UTC engagement without permission from BIO Intelligence Service.
3 FAO, 2013. Food Wastage Footprint Impacts on natural resources – Technical Report. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/ar429e/ar429e.pdf

GFCCC Deloitte Study PDF

  • September 23, 2014
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Refrigeration Industry Leaders Organize Global Food Cold Chain Council to Reduce Food Spoilage, Increase Efficiency, and Reduce HFC Emissions

Category : Press Release

New York, NY – September 23, 2014— A coalition of major companies that comprise the supply chain necessary to move cold food products from field to market around the world today announce the organization of the Global Food Cold Chain Council. This initiative seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emission in the processing, transportation, storage and retail display of cold food and to stimulate demand for climate-friendly technology. The announcement was made by the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, with the

This private sector initiative will promote efforts that stimulate demand for climate-friendly technologies while reducing refrigerant emissions, and minimizing food spoilage, and enhancing energy efficiency in the food cold chain. The initiative will also work with partners in the CCAC (Climate and Clean Air Coalition) to develop and implement broad-based public and private sector collaborative solutions to reduce hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions in the cold food chain across developed and developing countries. The council will work with individual businesses, associations, governments, and civil society.

“The food cold chain is responsible for nearly one third of global HFC emissions. The GFCCC is part of the Alliance’s comprehensive approach to achieving the global reduction of high-GWP HFCs,” said Alliance Executive Director Kevin Fay.

The growth of HFC emissions has been identified as a significant concern. HFCs are compounds that were introduced to replace ozone depleting substances being phased out by the Montreal Protocol. Currently HFCs only comprise about 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, unabated, HFCs are expected to increase to greater than10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

A more climate-friendly cold chain will not only reduce its own carbon footprint, it will extend food supplies to feed more people and reduce the estimated 3.3 billion metric tons of CO2- equivalent in food waste every year. If it were a country, food waste would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

The Alliance and AHRI participated last week in an HFC Industry Leadership Roundtable at the White House. At that meeting, Alliance member companies and others announced their voluntary commitments to introduce new low-global warming potential (GWP) compounds and technologies to replace the high-GWP compounds and technologies currently in use, and to continue to improve energy efficiency as well. The industry will invest $5 billion over the next decade to research, develop, and commercialize low-GWP technologies new refrigerants and the equipment in which they will be used. The Alliance pledged to take actions and support policies to reduce global HFC emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The industry leaders advocated for the North American-proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol as the best means of achieving a global phase-down of HFCs while increasing research and development of the next generation of refrigerants.

UNSG-GFCCC PDF

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