United Nations and Industry Team to Announce 2023 World Cold Chain Symposium: Sustainable Growth: Building Business Models for Cold Chain Development
Category : Press Release
Washington, DC Aug. 8, 2023 – The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are convening for the third annual World Cold Chain Symposium on Oct. 21, 2023, sponsored by Carrier Global Corporation. The program will be held at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of the 35th Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties. The theme for this year’s event is Sustainable Growth: Building Business Models for Cold Chain Development, as a logical next step after 2022’s World Cold Chain Symposium that focused on financial mechanisms for developing projects. Participants and speakers will include diverse high-level expert representatives from the private sector, government, international organizations, academia and non-profit organizations. A recording of the session will be available after the event.
This year’s Symposium will showcase the successes of the operations and strategies of existing projects and the benefits of building efficient and sustainable business models for the development of the cold chain around the globe. The theme calls attention to the need for the project sponsor to support the local organization in developing business practices that ensure the project’s long-term self-reliance, viability and efficacy. The program will focus on projects underway within Africa and supported by numerous public and private sector organizations.
There continues to be a growing recognition of the need for more attention and actions on sustainable cold chains for food security, public health, environmental and economic reasons. The Symposium is one of several important international events that explore the issue, including notably the United Nations Food Systems Summit held in July and the upcoming 35th Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties (MOP35) in late October, and the 28th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in November-December. The Symposium and its sponsors plan to assist in furthering the dialogue already discussed and provide more context of the intricacies of developing a sustainable cold chain ahead of the upcoming events.
“The World Cold Chain Symposium will once again bring together the world’s leading experts and some of the most innovative actors to focus on finance mechanisms that can reduce food loss and waste, boost global food supply, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kevin Fay, Executive Director of the Global Food Cold Chain Council.
For event information, including registration for program and reception, please email dobson@foodcoldchain.org.
UNEP is an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. OzonAction’s goal is to enable developing countries to meet and sustain their compliance obligations under the treaty.
GFCCC is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste, and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy efficient low-global warming potential technology.
