Special release-Invitation to join the Virtual side event-COP12(II)/MOP33 - From The Rome Declaration Commitments to Transformational Action on Delivering Sustainable Food Cold Chains for All
Thursday, 28 October 2021 at 18:00-19:30 EAT/ 17:00-18:30 CET
Hosted By: Government of Italy, FAO, Cool Coalition, Ozone Secretariat, UNEP OzonAction, Climate and Clean Air Coalition
BACKGROUND Scaling up action on efficient, climate friendly cold chains is a key piece of the puzzle to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the Montreal Protocol. Lack of effective cold chain is estimated to directly result in losses of 475 million tonnes or 13% of total food production.
At the same time, refrigeration equipment used in the food cold-chain is responsible for 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Ensuring “field to fork” connectivity with sustainable cold chain solutions can help nutritiously feed 10 billion people, support the wellbeing of hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers, and reduce food loss and wastage, while avoiding direct and indirect GHG emissions. As highlighted during the UN Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue on Sustainable Cold Chains, several challenges exist to deliver sustainable food cold chains for all.
These include lack of awareness on their benefits and of robust data, insufficient consideration to the multidimensional character of food cold chains and a tendency to work in silos, operational and commercial limitations of sustainable refrigerant options and insufficient skilled technicians. Policy, finance, technology solutions to overcome these challenges exist, and best practices in their implementation abound. Countries must leverage these opportunities as they move from their political commitments made through the Rome Declaration under the Montreal Protocol to transformational action.
