COOL TALKS
The UNEP Cool Coalition Webinar Series

Cool Talks spotlight innovative solutions, policies, and partnerships across the sustainable cooling landscape. From passive cooling and refrigerants to finance, technology, and just access, each session brings together global experts to exchange knowledge, inspire action, and accelerate progress toward a cooler, more resilient future.

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Register here

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Background

Cold chains are temperature-controlled logistics systems for perishable goods, which are critical to global food security, public health, and climate resilience in a rapidly warming world. Yet, their deployment remains deeply uneven, their emissions largely untracked, and their vulnerabilities to extreme heat increasingly exposed.

According to the IFC and UNEP Cool Coalition joint report, Cooler Finance: Mobilizing Investment for the Developing World’s Sustainable Cooling Needs, every year inadequate cold chains result in the loss of over 12 per cent of total food production, with devastating consequences for nutrition and rural livelihoods. In health systems, gaps in cold chain coverage compromise vaccine delivery and medical preparedness, particularly in heat-prone regions.

Climate change is compounding these risks. As highlighted in UNEP’s Global Cooling Watch 2023, cooling demand is rising sharply, but emissions from conventional systems are escalating, particularly in the cold chain sector, which is among the least regulated and most energy-intensive. Without targeted action, cold chains could become a significant and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, sustainable cold chain solutions powered by renewables, integrated into local systems, and designed with equity in mind, can reduce food loss, safeguard public health, and support countries’ climate and development goals. Strategic investment and collaboration across sectors are needed to unlock their full potential.

Held on the sidelines of the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktaking Moment, this event explored how countries and industry leaders are deploying sustainable cold chains to strengthen resilience, cut emissions, and protect lives. It also spotlighted opportunities for collaboration and investment at the intersection of cooling, health, food, and climate goals.

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Event Objectives

• Unpack the critical role of cold chains in addressing food insecurity, public health risks, and climate adaptation.
• Spotlight promising technologies, models, and partnerships to make cold chains accessible, sustainable, and inclusive.
• Explore country experiences and private-sector innovations.
• Identify priority policy levers and financial mechanisms to scale equitable cold chain systems.

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Agenda

17:00 – 17:05
Welcome
Angshuman Siddhanta, Sustainable Cold Chain Expert, UNEP Cool Coalition

17:05 – 17:10
Keynote: Cold Chains as a Health Resilience Imperative
Maricel Castro, Technical Officer for Vaccine Supply Chain and Logistics, World Health Organization

17:10 – 17:15
Keynote: Cold Storage, Food Security, and the Race to Zero Hunger
Ioannis Vaskalis, Natural Resources Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

17:15 – 17:35
Panel Discussion: Scaling Solutions for Sustainable Cold Chains
Moderator: Angshuman Siddhanta, Sustainable Cold Chain Expert, UNEP Cool Coalition

Panelists:
• Roberta Evangelista, Senior Digitalization Specialist, BASE Foundation
• Vishnu Sasidharan, Vice President & Business Head, Climate Technologies, Pluss Advanced Technologies
• Anatoly Mikhailov, Vice President, Industrial Refrigeration, Danfoss
• Guntram Glasbrenner, Programme Manager Proklima International, GIZ GmbH

17:35 – 17:55
Q&A Session

17:55 – 18:00
Closing Remarks
Angshuman Siddhanta, Sustainable Cold Chain Expert, UNEP Cool Coalition

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Resources

• Save-the-Date
• Social media card
• Maricel Castro presentation
• Guntram Glasbrenner presentation
• Recording
• Summary article