The Move to -15°C, a sustainability initiative dedicated to cutting carbon emissions in the frozen food supply chain, has welcomed a range of high-profile new businesses to its membership base. Recent joiners include UK-based supermarket Iceland Foods, which operates over 1,000 stores, Emirates SkyCargo, a leading air freight division, Emergent Cold LatAm, a fast-growing cold storage operator in multiple Latin American markets.
Recognising that a shift in temperature standards from -18°C to -15°C requires deep collaboration across both industry and academia, the Move to -15°C also recently secured support from key UK trade bodies, the British Frozen Food Federation and the Cold Chain Federation, and Dutch institution, Wageningen University.
Membership has grown from 11 companies to more than 30 since the Coalition’s launch at COP28 led by global logistics firm DP World, which commissioned research to explore the feasibility of a change from -18°C to -15°C. The study from the International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham and London South Bank University, among others, found a three-degree shift in frozen food temperature standards would cut greenhouse gases, lower supply chain costs and secure food resources for the world’s growing population, with no compromise on food safety or quality.
The coalition has also recently welcomed other important industry players such as Project44, Martico, Compleat Food Group and Sunswap. Together, these members bring a wide range of expertise, all working together to drive more sustainable practices within the frozen food industry.
Thomas Eskesen, Chairman of the Move to -15°C Coalition, says: “Rapid and ambitious climate action across complex and interwoven frozen food supply chains – which include food production, ports, shipping, road, rail and air freight, cold storage and retail – can only happen through cross-sector collaboration. That is why we are so thrilled to welcome these new members to the Move to -15°C coalition. We encourage more organisations to join us and explore the positive impact that adopting -15c can have on creating a future-proofed food system and lower carbon world.”
Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods, says: “At Iceland, we’ve been a long-time believer in the Power of Frozen, and given the research presented by the Move to -15°C Coalition, reducing freezer temperatures is the obvious choice for all retailers and suppliers. With our move to -15°C we’re helping to reduce emissions and energy consumption, whilst retaining our strict quality and safety standards.”
These new members join a diverse global coalition that spans the end-to-end cold chain. Existing members include Nomad Foods, Europe’s largest frozen food producer; Morrisons, a major UK retailer; Maersk, a global leader in logistics; Lineage, a top cold storage provider; Kuehne + Nagel, a prominent international transport firm and AJC International, a key player in global food distribution.
Dennis Lister, Senior Vice President of Product and Innovation, Emirates SkyCargo, said, “We have long been leaders in the movement of perishable food, connecting the global agricultural community with their customers across the globe and delivering freshness you can taste. The Move to -15°C Coalition is a future-looking concept, bringing together likeminded partners to evolve the industry in line with current advancements in technology, equipment, facilities, packaging and more. We are excited to offer our insight and expertise to help shape the next phase of food logistics while driving meaningful environmental impact.”
Move to -15°C Coalition members recently met at SIAL in Paris to update on activities, continue knowledge sharing and align on next steps in support of its mission to unite the industry behind an increase in frozen food shipping and storage temperatures.
The frozen food temperature set point of -18°C was established as an industry standard a century ago, but with little evidence, and logistics technology has improved substantially since.
About the Move to -15°C
Established in 2023, the Move to -15°C aims to reset frozen food temperature standards to reduce greenhouse gases, lower supply chain costs and secure global food resources. It was founded following the launch of the Three Degrees of Change report, an academic paper supported by global logistics firm, DP World, and delivered by experts from the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham, and London South Bank University among others.
The report which found that a move from -18°C to -15°C could make a significant environmental impact with no compromise on food safety. Its findings found that this small change in temperature could:
- Save 17.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent annual emissions of 3.8m cars annually
- Create energy savings of around 25 terawatt-hours (TW/h) – equivalent to 8.63% of the UK’s annual energy consumption
- Cut costs in the supply chain by at least 5% and in some areas by up to 12%
Recognising that a change in global temperature standards requires a collective effort, the Coalition intends to bring together key players within the global food supply chain to collaborate and explore viable options for a move to -15°C.
