Conference - A Cool World
Sustainable cooling and cold-chain for the global South
Birmingham, United Kingdom - 28th & 29th October 2025
Clean cooling and cold-chain systems are pivotal to sustainable development, food and health security, and economic prosperity - particularly in the Global South. Yet, despite the critical urgency, clean cooling and cold-chain solutions are neither being financed nor implemented at the required scale or in a holistic and inclusive manner on-the-ground.
What barriers are holding back progress, and why do these persist? What critical issues need addressing, and what risks does continued inaction pose? Crucially, what practical and tangible steps can be taken now to overcome these challenges and accelerate meaningful change?
On 28th and 29th October 2025, we are hosting a two-day international conference at University of Birmingham to advance the collaborative thinking on how, as a community, we can provide holistic, sustainable, affordable, and resilient cooling and cold-chain services to all; how we can embed this approach quickly enough to avoid locking-in cooling emissions for years or decades; and of course identify the research, trade, and commercial opportunities this offers to the UK.
This will be a collaborative, multi-stakeholder event with a focus on discussions and workshops for end-users, academics, Development Agencies and NGOs, industry, and investor groups to share ideas, make connections, and to develop thinking around clean cold. There will be opportunities to showcase technology and present academic posters. We will have colleagues from Africa and India in attendance to present work and impact on the ground.
To read more on the importance and necessity of this event, we encourage you to read Dr Tim Fox's article: A Cool World: Accelerating the journey to Sustainable Cold-Chain for the Global South.
Why Attend?
- Engage directly with global stakeholders from diverse sectors
- Participate in dynamic panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking sessions
- Explore innovative technologies
- Discover cutting-edge research
- Hear first-hand experiences from experts from Africa and India, sharing insights and real-world impact stories
Key cross-cutting themes to include
- Cooling as Critical National Infrastructure – roadmaps and the true cost of inactions
- Cold-chain for One Health – vaccines and pharma
- Cold-chain for economically empowering farmer communities
- The role of data and democratised ERP system;
- Novel technologies for the Global South; to include “Testing in Africa for Africa” and capacity building needs
- Energy transition
- Cold-chain through GESI lens
- Continual vocational training and Continuous professional development
Participation and Contact Information
This conference is free to attend.
To book your free ticket, please visit our event page, here.
To make general enquiries, please email [email protected].
