Disseminating Critical Climate Information
Disseminating Critical Climate Information

How grocery stores can join the climate fight

Refrigeration has been identified as a key global opportunity to combat climate change and cut emissions.

Supermarkets play a critical role in ensuring food stays fresh, but their refrigeration systems come with a hidden environmental cost. The fridges, freezers, and cooling cases lining grocery aisles often rely on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a class of refrigerants that are powerful contributors to global warming. However, there’s a greener alternative.

“Refrigeration has been identified as one of the leading global opportunities to address climate change and reduce emissions,” says Morgan Vanzo of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council.

HFCs, though effective in cooling, are potent greenhouse gases with a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Switching to more sustainable refrigerants could significantly reduce supermarkets’ climate impact. But making this transition is no small feat—it requires overhauling entire refrigeration systems.

“And it requires a robust workforce that’s ready to not only install these systems but service them,” Vanzo explains.

The challenge is twofold: a shortage of refrigeration technicians and a lack of training in climate-friendly systems. To address this, Vanzo’s organisation collaborates with community colleges and trade schools to recruit and train new technicians. They also offer workshops and certifications to prepare existing workers for handling alternative, less polluting refrigerants.

By equipping a skilled workforce, these efforts aim to help supermarkets transition to refrigeration systems that are better for the planet—paving the way for a more climate-conscious future in the food industry.

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