For years, logistics was seen as a silent gear: necessary, but secondary to production or commercial strategy. Today, in a context of climate crisis, regulatory pressure and more informed consumers, that vision has become obsolete. For José Carlos Gómez, director of LAR Norte Sales at Thermo King, refrigerated transport is one of the points where business sustainability stops being a speech and becomes a concrete action.
“Refrigerated transportation is critical because it is a sector that cannot be stopped,” he explains. “It moves food and medicine every day under controlled temperatures, but its climate impact is also significant.” According to recent global studies, emissions from agri-food cold chains reached approximately 1.32 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2022, a figure that reflects the growth of this activity in recent decades.
For this reason, initiatives such as the Gigaton Challenge, which seeks to reduce one gigaton of CO₂ through structural changes, have set their sights on this sector. “Transforming what is essential can generate real and measurable reductions,” says Gómez. Added to this is that food refrigeration and preservation represents close to 15% of global electricity consumption, according to the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), which makes it a key lever for any climate strategy. Beyond the figures, the manager emphasizes that the cold chain stops being a technical issue when it is recognized that it is not neutral. “Every time there is a failure, not only is product lost; resources and energy are wasted and additional emissions are generated. In a context of climate crisis and social pressure, continuing to operate without questioning that impact is already a posture,” he says.
Seemingly technical decisions—such as the type of refrigerant, the energy efficiency of equipment, or real-time visibility—have direct effects on the carbon footprint. “Many of the decisions with the greatest climate impact occur technically,” says Gómez. From Thermo King’s experience, connectivity and telemetry allow us to anticipate failures, avoid losses and optimize energy use. “Measuring better allows us to emit less,” he summarizes.
Food waste is another critical front. Much of it occurs after production, during storage and transportation. “When food is lost, all the energy and emissions associated with its production are also lost. Therefore, reducing waste is a direct climate action,” he explains. An efficient cold chain allows products to arrive in good condition from the first attempt, avoiding reprocessing that increases the environmental footprint.
In the case of medicines and vaccines, the impact is double. “There is a very clear social risk, because a product that loses its effectiveness puts people’s health at risk. But there is also an environmental impact, since each wasted unit must be produced and transported again,” warns the spokesperson.
To prevent emissions reductions from depending only on offsets, the industry is promoting structural changes. The focus has shifted from isolated solutions to integrated systems, with cleaner technologies, greater energy efficiency and new energy sources. An example is the use of solar panels in refrigerated transport to reduce fuel consumption in auxiliary functions. From a business perspective, José Carlos Gómez is clear: more sustainable logistics does not slow down business. “It is synonymous with efficiency, resilience and trust. It helps comply with regulations, reduces risks and strengthens the relationship with clients and consumers,” he concludes.
