Cold storage and logistics service provider (LSP) Lineage Logistics has joined a coalition of supply chain and logistics organizations working together to reduce carbon emissions in the sector on a global scale, the company said Thursday.
In an announcement from the COP28 climate summit held in Dubai this week, Michigan-based Lineage said it had signed on to the “Join the Move to -15 C” initiative founded by global logistics firm DP World. Companies in the group are working to reassess the longstanding international food storage temperature standard of -18 C, saying it was established in the 1930s and has been untouched for nearly a century.
Lineage said it was dedicated to exploring advancements in the field to drive sustainable practices while adhering to science-backed food safety protocols. The new initiative offers a chance for industry-wide collaboration to explore practical avenues that would contribute toward realizing the shared net-zero goal for the sector by 2050.
According to the group, academic research shows that raising the standard storage temperature of most frozen food by just 3 degrees Celsius to -15 C could make a significant environmental impact by cutting carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of taking 3.8 million cars off the road per year, without compromising food safety or quality.
In addition to Lineage, the coalition has been joined by A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) of Denmark; CMA CGM of France; Daikin of Japan; the Global Cold Chain Alliance; Hapag-Lloyd of Germany; Switzerland’s Kuehne + Nagel International; Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) of Italy; and Singapore-based Ocean Network Express.
“Aligned with our purpose of transforming the food supply chain to eliminate waste and help feed the world, we are thrilled to be among the first coalition participants in furthering a collective industry effort with the potential to combat climate change and mitigate the carbon emissions impact of the cold chain industry,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, President and CEO of Lineage. “Our membership in the coalition underscores our dedication to innovating food safety and quality protocols across the cold storage and transportation sector in the way we store, move, and service food across the globe.”
