A simple and modest change to how frozen food is stored could drastically slash carbon emissions, equating to taking 3.8 million cars off the road annually.
New research released today shows raising the temperature frozen food is stored and transported at from minus 18C to minus 15C would not only cut carbon dioxide by 17.7 million metric tonnes.
The three-degree change would also create energy savings of about 25 terawatt hours per year, which is about half of Singapore’s yearly electricity consumption.
The research by experts at the University of Birmingham, London South Bank University, and the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration found the shift would not compromise food quality or safety.
Global logistics firm DP World has created a coalition comprising other industry giants, including Maersk, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, Daikin and AJC Group to support the change.
“Frozen food standards have not been updated in almost a century – they are long overdue for revision,” DP World’s Group Chief Sustainability Officer Maha AlQattan 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.
“With this research and with our newly formed coalition, we aim to support collaboration across the industry to find viable ways to achieve the sector’s shared net zero ambition by 2050.”
Simple changes and technological innovation provide some hope that the planet is up to the task of tackling climate change, despite dire warnings about our slow progress.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently described climate action as being “dwarfed by the scale of the challenge” and declared humans have “opened the gates of hell”.
The Paris Agreement signed eight years ago resulted in a commitment to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrialisation levels by 2100, but that target is rapidly approaching.
This year, the planet has sat at 1.2C above that level.
A year of disastrous weather
As the year rapidly draws to a close, climate scientists are reflecting on a shocking run of disastrous weather events.
Pedro DiNezio, an Associate Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Colorado University in Boulder said 2023 has seen deadly wildfires, sweltering temperatures, devastating hurricanes and catastrophic flooding.
“What this is showing us is that an extreme event that goes above what’s normal can destroy our infrastructure in extremely destructive ways,” Associate Professor DiNezio said.
“It’s been a challenging time climate-wise. We’ve been experiencing a roller coaster of La Nina, El Nino and La Nina. Earlier last year, we were just coming out of a La Nina, and then we went right into an El Nino.
“Heatwaves are normal phenomena in the climate system, but if the climate is already warm, then an event that would happen once every 50 years in the past is happening once every five years because of that extra warmth.
“That’s why climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense.
“Also, as the climate warms, Earth’s atmosphere can hold more water vapour. When storms happen, all that water vapour will become rainfall, leading to higher rain rates and longer storms.”
This year is on track to be the hottest on record, according to scientists from the European Union.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (CS3) dataset goes back to 1940 but when combined and compared with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change research examining evidence like tree rings, ice cores, and coral deposits, the picture is even starker.
CS3 Deputy Director Samantha Burgess said it’s “virtually certain” 2023 will rate as the warmest year in 125,000 years.
The planet’s atmosphere effectively “gets thirsty” as a result of warming due to physics, Associate Professor DiNezio explained, and Earth quenches its thirst by “extracting water from soil and plants”.
“As they dry up, they are easier to catch on fire,” he said.
More ambitious action needed
If pledges made by signatories to the Paris Agreement eventuate, experts expect global warming to peak at between 2.1C and 2.8C above pre-industrialisation levels.
Brendan Mackey, the Director of the Griffith Climate Action Beach at Griffith University said modelled worst-case scenarios of 4C-plus of warming by 2100 now look unlikely.
“But a 2C world would bring unacceptable harm and irreversible damage,” Mr Mackey wrote in an article for The Conversation.
Beginning today, representatives from around the world will meet in the United Arab Emirates for the COP28 climate summit.
For the first time, a Global Stocktake will be released to provide a comprehensive overview of progress on the Paris Agreement commitments.
“We’ll need much more ambitious targets and support to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and 60 per cent by 2035, compared with 2019 levels, if we are to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 globally,” Mr Mackey said.
“A major measure of COP28’s success will be whether the major emitting nations agree on more ambitious emission reduction actions.”
However, the President of COP28 is the UAE’s Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, who leads the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
“Expect to see considerable debate over wording,” Mr Mackey said.
To coincide with the summit, the Federal Government will today table its Annual Climate Change Statement in Parliament, showing Australia is on track to cut emissions by 42 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Climate Minister Chris Bowen heads to the UAE for negotiations next week.