A change in frozen food temperatures by just three degrees could help cut carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 3.8 million cars per year, according to new research supported by DP World.

In a statement, the end-to-end logistics operator noted that most frozen food is transported and stored at -18°C, a standard that was set 93 years ago and has not changed since. 

"A move to -15°C could make a significant environmental impact with no compromise on food safety or quality," it said, citing findings of the study.

Experts, from the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham and London South Bank University, among others, found that the small change could: save 17.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent annual emissions of 3.8 million cars annually, and create energy savings of around 25 terawatt-hours (TW/h) — equivalent to 8.63% of the UK's annual energy consumption.

This change could also cut costs in the supply chain by at least 5% and, in some areas, by up to 12%.

The research was supported by DP World — a principal partner in COP28. It has also set up an industry-wide coalition to explore the feasibility of this change, named "Join the Move to -15°C."

DP World said this coalition aims to redefine frozen food temperature standards to cut greenhouse gases, lower supply chain costs and secure food resources for the world’s growing population. 

The coalition has already been joined by leading industry organizations, including US-based AJC Group, A.P. Moller–Maersk (Maersk) of Denmark; Daikin of Japan; DP World; the Global Cold Chain Alliance; Switzerland's Kuehne + Nagel International; US-based Lineage; Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) of Geneva; and Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE).

Maha AlQattan, group chief sustainability Officer at DP World, said frozen food standards "have not been updated in almost a century."

"They are long overdue for revision," he said. "A small temperature increase could have huge benefits, but — however committed each individual organisation is — the industry can only change what's possible by working together."

AlQattan added that with this research and the newly formed coalition, DP World aims to support collaboration across the industry to find viable ways to achieve the sector's shared net-zero ambition by 2050. 

"The Move to -15°C will bring the industry together to explore new, greener standards to help decarbonise the sector on a global scale. Through this research, we can see how we can deploy accessible storage technologies in all markets to freeze food at sustainable temperatures while reducing food scarcity for vulnerable and developed communities," he further said.

While freezing food extends shelf life, it comes with a significant environmental cost — as 2%-3% more energy is required for every degree below zero that food is stored at.

Yet demand for frozen food is increasing as appetites evolve in developing countries.

At the same time, experts estimate that 12% of food produced annually is wasted due to a lack of refrigerated and frozen logistics, called the 'cold chain' in the industry, highlighting a significant need for greater capacity.

"Cold chains are critical infrastructure, vital for a well-functioning society and economy. They underpin our access to safe and nutritious food and health, as well as our ability to spur economic growth," said Professor Toby Peters, University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University and director of the Centre for Sustainable Cooling.

"Cold chain infrastructure, and the lack of it, have implications for global climate change and the environment," he added.

Peters noted that cutting cold chain emissions and transforming how food is safely stored and moved today helps ensure we can keep sustainably feeding communities across the globe as populations and global temperatures rise, protecting nutritious food sources for years to come.