The UK is sleepwalking into a climate disaster by ignoring the vast and growing carbon footprint of its cold chain, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has warned in a damning new report.
The cold chain – the system that keeps our food, medicines and homes chilled – is one of the most energy-hungry sectors in the UK economy, responsible for 3.5% of total emissions.
That’s more than aviation. Yet there is no national strategy, no regulation and no oversight.
In its report Cooling the Climate Crisis, the EIA says the sector is “fragmented, hidden, and heavily polluting” – and calls for urgent government action to get a grip on spiralling demand for cooling.
Despite a legal duty to cut emissions, ministers are failing to tackle one of the fastest-growing sources of pollution.
Supermarkets, in particular, are singled out for pumping out millions of tonnes of CO₂ equivalent every year through outdated refrigeration systems and leaky infrastructure.
Some major retailers have made progress but others are still using harmful hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that trap thousands of times more heat than CO₂.
The report urges developing a national cold chain strategy, mandate natural refrigerants across all commercial systems by 2035 and boost the energy efficiency of cooling infrastructure in homes and buildings.
