The document discusses refrigeration and its importance for food safety, access to fresh foods, and reducing spoilage and illness globally. It notes that refrigeration is vital along the entire food cold chain from field to market. The food cold chain and use of refrigerants like HFCs contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. However, industry groups are working to promote more efficient, cost-effective equipment that uses low global warming potential refrigerants to both reduce emissions and better preserve global food supplies.

1. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Industry Acts to Preserve and Expand The
Global Food Cold Chain
Stephen Yurek
President and CEO
Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute

2. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Refrigeration is Vital to Global Health & Safety
• Promotes food safety
• Allows ready access to wide variety of fresh and frozen foods
• Reduces spoilage; promotes health
• Reduces food-borne illness
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3. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Food Cold Chain
A supply chain where refrigeration is necessary to
move food products from field to market from:
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4. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Food Waste
 Food waste contributes more
than 3 billion MTCO2e annually
in greenhouse gas emissions.
 If food waste were a country, it
would be the 3rd highest
emitter of GHGs in the world.
 To reduce these emissions,
industry can:
 promote greater access to food
preservation technology
 Promote development and
utilization of cost-effective and
energy-efficient equipment.
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5. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Food Waste Carbon Footprint
3.3 Gigatonnes CO2e annual carbon
footprint of food waste by life-cycle phase
Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/ar429e/ar429e.pdf5

6. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
HFCs and the Food Cold Chain
• HFC use and its climate change contribution are rapidly
increasing
• Unabated, HFCs are expected to increase from the current
1% to greater than 10% of GHG emissions by 2050
• The food cold chain represents about 20% of all HFC use
today
• There are low-GWP alternatives; some companies are
already replacing high-GWP HFCs
• Industry can build on these successes and deploy low-GWP
compounds as existing equipment is replaced
• A cold chain using low-GWP technologies will reduce its
own carbon footprint while better protecting food supplies
to feed more people
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7. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Industry Acts
• In Sept. 2014, a coalition of major companies from around the world
announced creation of the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC)
– to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the processing,
transportation, storage and retail display of cold food and
– to stimulate global demand for energy-efficient low-GWP
technology
• GFCCC will work with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to
advance broad-based public and private sector collaborative
solutions to reduce HFC emissions in the food cold chain across
developed and developing countries
• Successful implementation will increase human health, create
greater food supply, reduce consumption of water, promote more
sustainable agricultural practices and reduce GHG emissions
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8. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Smart Regulation is Key
• Yes, refrigerants can be emitted in the environment; we must guard
against that
• Yes, refrigeration uses energy; we must be as efficient as practicable
• But, minimum efficiency levels should never be set so high as to make
vital equipment economically unattainable
• And refrigerant policies must take into account more than just GWP
• Efficiency
• Cost
• Availability
• Safety

9. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Thank you!

10. Latest Technologies in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning - XVI European Conference Milano, 12th - 13th June 2015
Thank you!