Three degrees for global cold chain change: The -15 Movement looks to make big changes with a small shift in 3°C.
Cold chain and temperature-controlled transportation are vital to the logistics chain, servicing grocery stores, restaurants, and the medical and biological industries. As a result, this sector demands a lot in terms of vehicles, personnel training, and energy costs, particularly fuel. However, one area that is often overlooked is the temperature of the goods in transportation themselves.Frozen goods: How cold chain logistics works
For as long as there have been temperature-controlled logistics; the standard temperature for trailers has been -18°Celsius. This figure has been the target since the 1930s, but recent studies highlight that it seems somewhat arbitrary. This is an area where energy savings can have a massive impact without overhauling entire logistics operations.
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The research: Why 3 degrees can make a big difference
According to scientists from the International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham, and London South Bank University, a minor adjustment from -18 to -15 could:
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Reduce carbon emissions by 17.7 million metric tonnes per year; equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off the road.
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Save approximately 25 terawatt-hours (TW/h) of energy annually.
These figures are massive so to give a bit more context the proposed reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to the entire population of New York, New Hampshire and Vermont not driving for a year.
Similarly, the terawatts saved are equivalent to 8.63% of the UK’s annual energy consumption. Source: Multimodal.org.uk >
