Early Engagement Notice - Assessment of climate risks to UK cold-supply chains

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008. Our purpose is to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Part of the CCC's role is to undertake an assessment of the risks and opportunities from climate change facing the UK now and, in the future, through the Climate Change Risk Assessment. We have begun work to inform the Fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment for the UK, and as part of this we would like to explore in detail how climate change might impact some of the UK's critical systems. One of the systems we would like to explore in depth is the UK's cold-supply chains which are integral to supplying and exporting essential products including perishable food products and critical medicines/pharmaceutical products.

• The cold chain enables pharmaceutical trade (e.g. in vaccines, medicines and therapies) worth around £50bn a year to the UK economy (UK's fifth largest import sector and fourth largest export sector last year).
• Also enables around £30bn a year in food trade (heavily weighted towards imports, main products: meat, dairy, seafood and fruit and veg). The food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK
• Directly employs around 100,000 in the UK.
• Food refrigeration is estimated to be responsible for 2-4% of the UKs total GHG emissions

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