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Multi-Country Industry Dialogue: Building Social Resilience through Reliable Cold Chain Infrastructure



Coordinating Person: Shivam Gupta Date: October 6, 2021


Embracing the Paris Agreement as well as the Montreal Protocol & the Kigali Amendment, and supporting G7’s "Biarritz Pledge for Fast Action on Efficient Cooling”, global economies are working for a common climate objective to limit global warming to 1.5°C. At this time when current Covid-19 has gripped the world, the aftermath has also revealed health, social, and economy as the crucial elements to a resilient future. Transfiguration of cold chain infrastructure integrating climate-friendly practices plays a key role in a resilient future.
With the increasing demand for food, vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, and other heat-sensitive perishables, a reliable cold chain infrastructure may prove to be the flywheel for food, nutrition, and health security leapfrog better livelihood in the country. In this context, it becomes paramount for world economies to stress on sustainable cold chain especially when pandemic brings about unprecedented changes in livelihood across the world and the global climate fraternity recognizes cooling’s significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
India is one of the largest producers of perishables across the world and produces more than 400 million MT of perishables every year. The wastage levels in perishables in India are also significantly high- 4.6- 15.9% in fruits, 5.2% in inland fish, 10.5% in marine fish, 2.7% in meat, and 6.7% in poultry.
A robust cold chain infrastructure on the road to India’s climate commitment is the key to handling such large products and minimizing waste. National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD) has defined Cold-chain as an environment-controlled supply chain, consisting of storage and distribution activities that maintain a product in the stipulated ambient range of conditions. As per a report of NCCD, refrigerated transport is still in a nascent stage in India. In comparison, France has nearly 8 million square meters of cold storage space and about 1, 75, 000 reefer vehicles.
Moving by the side of the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), efforts need to be put to adopt energy-efficient technology practices, de- carbonized supply chain processes with lower losses, and use of climate-friendly refrigerants to fulfill international climate agendas.
The Embassy of France in India partnering with TERI and in connection to Indo-French Year of the Environment is organizing the second webinar under the flagship of TERI’s “Multi-Country Industry Dialogue - webinar series” and as a part of project SHEETAL - Alliance for Sustainable Habitat, Energy Efficiency, and Thermal Comfort for All. This webinar facilitates a panel discussion preceded by an introductory session, bringing together experts from policy and the cold chain industry from India and France for underpinning analyses of sustainable cold chains. The key points to be discussed during the webinar are:
a. Importance of cold chain for resilient social-economic infrastructure
b. Global scenarios and opportunities to catalyze the adoption of sustainable cold chains.

Reports: Report Link

Agenda: Agenda Link