Morrisons becomes first UK retailer to increase freezer temperatures

As part of efforts to cut carbon emissions, Morrisons has signed the Move to -15°C Coalition’s letter of intent and taken the first steps of progress.
Recent comprehensive academic studies have shown that an increase of just three degrees in freezer temperatures across the supply chain will transform the global logistics landscape by cutting carbon emissions, saving energy and lowering costs. Widespread global adoption of a change of just 3°C across the supply chain would mean potential savings equivalent to 8.6 percent of the UK’s energy consumption, and reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off of the road.
In signing the Move to -15°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.
For Morrisons, the carbon savings will be an important boost to its ambitions to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its own operations by 2035 and the significant cost savings will enable Morrisons to further cut, hold or promote prices in its c.500 supermarkets and c.1,600 convenience stores across the UK over the long term.
Ruth McDonald, Morrisons Group Corporate Services Director, said: “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°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.
“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.”
Source: Newfoodmagazine