The Clean Cooling Network

The Clean Cooling Network is a global programme to understand cooling and cold-chain as critical national infrastructure.

Our aim is to provide the tools, knowledge, training and support to deliver inclusive, equitable and future-proofed cooling and cold-chain solutions with minimum environmental impact.

Our Vision

We have set out to answer a wicked problem - How do you create the local and global “field to fork” connectivity to nutritiously feed 10 billion people in 2050, whilst economically empowering hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers whose livelihoods and well-being are often dependent on only 1-2 hectares of land or less, as well as ensure they are climate-change adaptation ready and resilient.… sustainably?

Cold-chains are complex - multi-dimensional, temperature-controlled networks that must maintain perishable and temperature-sensitive products at their optimum temperature and environment from point of harvest to destination. They include both static and mobile elements that must work seamlessly together, and which are a primary source of different energy demands. And they include multiple stakeholders. The traditional private-sector-led business models necessarily focuses on and prioritizes the commercial financial returns not the impact that could be achieved on the economy, environment, and society as a whole. In fact, they often even exacerbate inequalities.

Our Answer

The Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) in Rwanda and a reference SPOKE in Kenya were developed as the launch pad for a global programme of regional Centres of Excellence to increase access to resilient, efficient and climate-friendly cooling and cold-chain for all.

The programme is already being rolled into multiple markets in Africa (Senegal and Lesotho alongside Rwanda and Kenya) and India (Telangana and Haryana). Over the next three years, our global reach is planned to continue to grow driven by our team of more than 60 researchers and experts and our industry leaders, international development agencies and governments partners.

Alongside the physical Centres and SPOKEs, the programme is underpinned by this website and an online knowledge and training platform to provide a central access point for all news, content, tools and training materials. It is a place where a wide variety of relevant stakeholders can convene to learn, discuss, share and teach.

To support the global vision, we have created an umbrella brand for the programme – the Clean Cooling Network – under which each project will retain its national identity and country-led approach. Our objective is to promote cooling and cold-chain as critical national infrastructure and provide the tools, knowledge, training and support to deliver inclusive, equitable and future-proofed solutions with minimum environmental impact, ensuring sustainability and resilience in a fast warming and changing world.

Professor Toby Peters, University of Birmingham

Our goal is an integrated programme to accelerate the deployment of sustainable cold-chain solutions in developing markets at scale with fit-for-market business models and clean technologies.

• Develop, test, demonstrate and deploy viable pathways considering the overall system, from farm to fork and manufacturer to patient
• Collaborative research on future-proof, localised solutions
• Build awareness on the benefits of sustainable cold chain
• Provide business assistance and training to small-holder farmers and rural communities- paying attention to gender and social inclusion/exclusion dynamics
• Build the skilled workforce for installation and maintenance
• Exchange lessons learned from real-world applications throughout Africa