CCF publishes election manifesto

UK: In a new manifesto ahead of this year’s general election, the Cold Chain Federation (CCF) is calling for future government’s to take action to recognise the industry’s crucial contributions.

Amongst a number of measures, the Cold Chain Federation is calling for the cold chain to be designated to a cabinet office ministerial portfolio.

The CCF is asking UK political parties to commit to the policies detailed in its manifesto – Cold Chain: The Vital Link to Turbocharging UK Growth & Security – which sets out actions that should be taken to help “unlock the great potential” of the UK’s temperature-controlled logistics industry.

Cold Chain Federation president Paul Bennell said: “Our nation relies on the UK’s professional, resilient and reliable temperature-controlled logistics operators for food and medicine every day of the year and we are an industry with a strong vision for the future, investing in emerging technologies and state-of the-art facilities. Working together, government and industry can unlock the cold chain’s great potential to help spur growth, improve food standards, and make important contributions towards net zero. The Cold Chain Manifesto we launch today sets out how this can be achieved. We will seek commitments to these actions from all political parties to support our industry.”

The Cold Chain Manifesto sets out a range of priority policies across five areas:

1. Seeking an increase in investment into the UK’s transport and logistics infrastructure to improve the efficiency and resilience of the cold chain and reduce costs for businesses and consumers; and designating the cold chain to a cabinet office ministerial portfolio.

2. Tackling overchilling in the frozen supply chain, harnessing the potential of renewable energy and increasing support for energy efficiency.

3. Supporting operators to bridge the enhanced capital cost of emerging technologies and overcoming grid connection challenges to enable the installation of charging infrastructure.

4. Renewing the focus on skills and training for the cold chain workforce, to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly complex industry.

5. Supporting the growth of international trade in temperature-sensitive products, enabling the industry to work with the government to open up new markets for UK businesses and ensure UK products can compete on a level playing field in the global market.

“The UK cold chain is buoyant and ever evolving with fantastic potential for sustainable growth, but there are some significant challenges to overcome if we are to be able to achieve that ambition,” commented Cold Chain Federation chief executive Phil Pluck.

Cold Chain: The Vital Link to Turbocharging UK Growth & Security