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On the occasion of World Refrigeration Day, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) has called on all countries to recognise refrigeration as a critical infrastructure for health, food security, energy efficiency, and climate sustainability.
The IIR also urges governments to establish National Refrigeration Committees, cross-sectoral platforms designed to coordinate sustainable refrigeration efforts across all applications, from cryogenic technologies and ultra-low temperature uses, to food and health cold chains, air conditioning, and heat pumps.
These committees should bring together all relevant stakeholders, ensuring that the full range of actors, public and private, technical and policy, are involved in shaping effective and inclusive national refrigeration strategies. These efforts are identified by the IIR as essential to strengthening food systems, public health, industrial development, and climate action.
Finally, the IIR, as the scientific, independent, and unbiased Intergovernmental Organisation for the Development of Refrigeration called on more countries to join its mission and actively support global efforts to elevate refrigeration to the top of national and international agendas, recognising the refrigeration sector as a vital enabler of sustainable development and climate resilience.
This global call echoes the outcomes from the 2025 World Refrigeration Day High-Level Event, hosted by the IIR on June 18 in Paris. Over 170 government, industry, scientific, and international organisation representatives from more than 60 countries came together to align around one message: refrigeration is no longer a side issue, it is core infrastructure.
“This is the decade where sustainable refrigeration will shape our societies. Let’s be visionary, let’s be disruptive, and let’s be inclusive,” said Yosr Allouche, Director General of IIR.
A Global Turning Point
Representing governments’ view, from Indonesia to Nigeria to the European Union, national leaders highlighted how refrigeration supports clean energy, food security, and economic inclusion. The proposed National Committees would bring together ministries, private sector, and academia to ensure coherent policies, aligned investments, and a skilled workforce.
“We are witnessing the rebirth of the IIR, more relevant than ever, more united than ever,” said Prof. Min-Soo Kim, President of the IIR General Conference.
The Paris event also featured key intervention from Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol which emphasised on the importance of considering sustainable cooling actions through sectoral approaches and maximise the benefits from early action in emerging sectors in developing countries and inline with the Kigali Amendment commitment, other key interventions also include those given by UNESCO, UNIDO, UNEP, WOAH, CCAC, World Bank IFC, GIZ Proklima, FAO and BSRIA.
The IIR’s announcement of the launch of the Global Refrigeration Outlook, IIR’s new flagship report series to guide policy, science, and finance, was well received and appreciated by participants.
Industry leaders, including Carrier Transicold, Chereau, Daikin Europe, Danfoss Climate Solutions, CIMCO Refrigeration and Sofrigam, Mayekawa and Climalife, showcased scalable innovations applying natural refrigerants, thermal integration, innovative cold chains and heat pumps solutions. But they stressed the need for enabling policies and predictable investment.
From climate change to energy access, refrigeration is now recognised as a global systems issue, and one that can deliver rapid, equitable gains if approached collaboratively.
