A New Year message from Phil Pluck, chief executive, Cold Chain Federation
Reading, UK: Since joining the Cold Chain Federation in November, I have had the privilege of spending time with federation members across the UK: visiting their facilities, seeing their operations in action, listening to their views and experiences, and really getting under the skin of the key priorities for our industry. I thank all the Cold Chain Federation members who have hosted me and given generously of their time, particularly at such a busy time of year for the food supply chain.
Of course, temperature-controlled logistics operators continually move into a new ‘busy time’ as soon as the previous one comes to an end. It is only right that the indefatigable work ethic of the UK cold chain is matched by your federation, and I’d like to recap a few of the highlights of a busy 2023 for CCF.
The inaugural Cold Chain Climate Summit and Sustainability Awards took place in March at Warwick University. It created a new and unique forum for cold chain colleagues, Government representatives and leaders in logistics academia to explore the key issues related to net zero. Don’t forget to book your place at the Cold Chain Climate Summit on 13 March 2024, where we will examine the latest data and analysis, look at the role of future-facing technologies, and consider the path forward. You can register for the Summit and enter the Sustainability Awards at www.coldchainfederation.org.uk/events.
Sustainability also featured within the broader ‘Resilience and Opportunity’ programme of Cold Chain Live 2023, which took place in Liverpool in September. 500 cold chain professionals gathered for our industry’s definitive conference to share knowledge, discuss the latest trends and ideas, and to forge new relationships while also cementing existing ones. I look forward to sharing with you details for Cold Chain Live 2024 in due course.
In terms of government policy, the Cold Chain Federation has worked very effectively as the voice of our industry on a wide range of policy issue throughout the year. There have been many occasions of influencing decisions to the benefit of temperature-controlled logistics operators, two that stand out are receiving the change we requested to the timetable for introducing new customs requirements for imports which has allowed much-needed time for EU partners to prepare; and the announcement in the Autumn Statement that government is taking forward a new six-year Climate Change Agreement scheme.
In 2024 however, as politicians gear up for and then respond to the results of a general election, we can expect a substantial increase in uncertainty regarding the direction of policy and regulation. We are engaging with all major political parties to keep our industry on the front foot. Look out for our UK Cold Chain Manifesto, which will set out our industry’s key priorities and form the framework for our engagement with politicians and policymakers.
Another policy area that is set to come to the fore in 2024, at both UK and global levels, is a call for a review of temperature setpoints. Increasing industry interest in the idea throughout 2023 included lively discussions at our Climate Summit and at Cold Chain Live, and there has been strong interest in a major new academic assessment that was published at COP 28 in November. The Cold Chain Federation will continue to examine how the move could work in practice. Any change may require many years of evidence, data collection and international buy-in, but the ball is certainly rolling and the ultimate energy efficiency prize could be very significant.
The Cold Chain Federation continues to support operators seeking to improve energy efficiency, and this year we published industry-wide cold storage energy benchmarks and individual benchmarking dashboards for each signatory to the cold storage Climate Change Agreement scheme. Cold Chain Federation members tell us that access to new, well-researched and insightful data such as these energy benchmarks and the content of the Cold Chain Report 2023 is extremely useful, and we will grow the provision of valuable data such as this to our members in 2024 and beyond.
The coming year looks set to bring the UK cold chain several challenges, plenty of exciting opportunities and – if recent years are anything to go by – a fair chance of some surprises. I am proud to be leading your Cold Chain Federation as we enter 2024, and we will support our members every step of the way.
