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Supermarkets, in particular, are singled out for pumping out millions of tonnes of CO₂ equivalent every year through outdated refrigeration systems and leaky infrastructure.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.
“The government’s silence on cooling is baffling,” said EIA Climate Campaigner Fionnuala Walravens. “This is a massive opportunity to cut energy use, save money, and slash emissions. Yet ministers are ignoring it.”
One of the biggest issues, the EIA says, is the regulatory vacuum.
Domestic fridges are regulated. Cars are regulated. But commercial cold stores, refrigerated trucks and supermarket display cabinets are not.
The report also calls out planning policies that lead to poorly designed homes and commercial buildings which then require artificial cooling, worsening the problem.
It warns of a “feedback loop” where cooling systems drive climate change, which then drives more demand for cooling.
The EIA wants a ban on fossil-fuelled cold chain systems by 2040 and urgent support for innovation in energy-efficient, climate-friendly technologies.
With demand for cooling set to soar as summers get hotter, the agency warns that without a strategy in place, Britain risks locking in decades of avoidable emissions and energy costs.
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