Morrisons has become the latest business to join the ‘Move to -15 degrees C’ coalition which entails raising freezer temperatures to save energy and reduce carbon usage.
Described as “a cool plan” by CEO Rami Baitiéh, the move comes as experts have identified that a 3 degree C increase in freezer temperature on the current industry standard of -18°C can have a significant impact on reducing emissions levels. The standard was set almost 100 years and has not been updated since, despite improvements in refrigeration that suggest it will not negatively impact food safety.
Morrisons began experimenting with the warmer freezer temperature on 1 August, implementing the ‘Move to -15 degrees C’ strategy in ten of its stores.
In signing the Move to -15 degrees C coalition’s letter of intent, Morrisons is also committing to advocate through the UK supply chain for food producers, logistics operations and retailers to join the coalition.
Ruth McDonald, Morrisons Group corporate services director, commented: “Industry standards today are based on safety, science or convenience. The standard temperature for the storage and transport of frozen food today looks like it is simply a convention from nearly 100 years ago.
“We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology and monitoring that gives us a precise picture of frozen food temperatures throughout the supply chain. We applaud the Move to -15 degrees C movement for their original thinking and willingness to challenge a long-accepted standard and in doing so identify a significant opportunity for positive progress for both the environment and the food industry.”
She added: “So on behalf of our customers, our carbon commitments and the planet we are enthusiastically embracing the opportunity and putting together a concrete plan and timetable to increase the freezer temperatures across our stores and frozen supply chain by 3°C. As we execute our plan, we will be encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same.”
Thomas Eskesen, chairman of the Move to -15 degrees C coalition, which was launched in 2023 at COP28 and includes signatories such as Nomad Foods and Danish Crown, said: “In order for us to be successful with making the change to -15 degrees C, it is essential that we have representatives and support from every stage of the frozen food supply chain, so to have a large UK retailer like Morrisons on board is an important step forward for us.
“By raising the temperature of its freezers in 10 of its stores across the UK, Morrisons is demonstrating that change is possible, and we know that this seemingly small change can lead to a significant, positive, environmental impact.”
The Move to -15 degrees C coalition was founded following the launch of the Three Degrees of Change report, an academic paper supported by global logistics firm, DP World, and delivered by experts including the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham, and London South Bank University.
The report found a move from -18 degrees C to -15 degrees C could make a significant environmental impact with no compromise on food safety, suggesting this change made at scale across industry could save 17.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent annual emissions of 3.8m cars annually.
Both the Cold Chain Federation and the British Frozen Food Federation have joined the Move to -15 degrees C coalition.
In a LinkedIn post announcing his company’s involvement in the coalition, Morrisons CEO Baitiéh said: “There are carbon savings and cost savings.
“The carbon savings will be an important boost to our ambitions to achieve net zero carbon emissions from our own operations by 2035. And the cost savings will be invested in prices for our customers.”
[Image credit: Morrisons]
