Carrier Transicold and GIZ announce agreement to advance cold chain development and decarbonization in Costa Rica and South Africa

Carrier Transicold and the Greener Reefers in International Maritime Transport initiative of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH have agreed to collaborate to advance cold chain development and training in Costa Rica and South Africa. The memorandum of understanding, which was signed at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates, focuses on providing training to technicians for refrigerated containers using natural refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). The in-person trainings in Costa Rica and South Africa, as well as virtual trainings, will focus on sustainable refrigeration solutions and energy optimization. The initiative supports Carrier’s focus on expanding the cold chain, which can help improve health outcomes and reduce hunger, food insecurity and carbon emissions. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions.

“We are excited to be a part of the Greener Reefers in International Maritime Transport project, and as an industry leader, we are pleased to educate others on the use of natural refrigerant-based technology such as our NaturaLINE™ unit, which incorporates CO2 in place of conventional synthetic refrigerants,” said Vineet Kashyap, Vice President & General Manager, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold.

Approximately 1.5 million refrigerated containers that are vital for trading chilled and frozen products are currently shipped around the world, and this number is growing annually. Refrigerated containers contribute notably to the emissions released by the container shipping industry, with the reefer sector projected to continue growing in line with global demand for perishable goods such as food and medicine.

“These are exciting times, where we are moving the needle on climate progress. In October, Carrier Commercial Refrigeration and GIZ agreed to set up the first regional CO2 transcritical supermarket training center in East Africa,” said Philipp Denzinger, Project Manager of GIZ Proklima. “We are now signing a memorandum of understanding with Carrier Transicold to promote sustainable reefer solutions, as well as improve the energy efficiency of the maritime shipping sector.”

This initiative further underscores Carrier’s ongoing commitment to advance efficient and sustainable cooling solutions in emerging markets. In October, Carrier Commercial Refrigeration and GIZ agreed to advance cold chain development in East Africa with a first-of-its-kind training center, and earlier in the year, Carrier Transicold signed an agreement with the Telangana State Trade Promotion Corporation to advance cold chain development and training in India. In 2022, Carrier Transicold agreed to help develop a cold chain center in Kigali, Rwanda and a world-class Transport Training Centre in Accra, Ghana.

These collaborations are aligned with Carrier’s 2030 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) goals to help its customers avoid more than 1 gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions and to positively impact communities by alleviating hunger and food waste.