National Landscape Cooling Needs Assessment

For governments to equitably and sustainably meet their populations’ cooling and cold-chain needs

Summary

The National Landscape Cooling Needs Assessment tool (along with a Community Cooling Needs Assessment) has been developed by the Centre for Sustainable Cooling in collaboration with academic partners across the UK, EU, Africa and India.

The system-of-systems approach to cooling and cold-chain provision necessarily starts with a comprehensive understanding of the need. This extensive experience has informed the development of a refined process for undertaking national and community-level cooling and cold-chain assessments.

Objectives Of The Tool

For governments to equitably and sustainably meet their populations’ cooling and cold-chain needs, they must first understand and quantify both current and future needs across sectors, including food, health and thermal comfort. Underestimating the scale of cooling and cold-chain needs risks a lack of ambition in policy, infrastructure, and technological development, which could have significant social, economic, and environmental consequences.

The National Landscape Cooling Needs Assessment tool is designed to gather insights into the current state of cooling and cold-chain availability and access at a national level - a necessary first step to designing a sustainable and resilient cold-chain system. This framework identifies key dimensions for understanding the sector, including:

  • Current demand, need and supply capacity,

  • Key drivers, opportunities, and barriers to meeting unmet need

  • Economic opportunities, such as maintaining food quality and ensuring food safety, reducing loss, value-addition, and enabling access to distant markets.

It also sheds light on food and vaccine losses due to inadequate cold-chain services and highlights vulnerabilities caused by service gaps. Additionally, the framework considers the procurement of cooling and cold-chain equipment and materials.

The framework will allow governments, policymakers, and key stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding on:

  • The current cooling and cold-chain needs across sectors at the national level.

  • To what extent have these needs are being met.

  • Future cooling and cold-chain needs and opportunities.

  • The gap between the current and future cooling and cold-chain needs.

  • The effect of different drivers on cooling and cold-chain demand.

  • The barriers and risks associated with cooling and cold-chain deployment.

The initial assessment report generated through this framework will serve as a guide for developing comprehensive research designs, enabling a thorough understanding of national cooling and cold-chain needs and opportunities.

Accessing The Tool

We are currently finalising the delivery method for this Needs Assessment. Updates will be provided here in due course.

Network News

The latest from the global Clean Cooling community

Festival of Cooling Competition: OPEN NOW

As part of the Festival of Cooling, the Clean Cooling Network invites you to take part in a photography competition that shines a light on how cooling manifests in our day-to-day life, whether that's through food, health, nature or technology.

COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Turn your creativity into impact at the Festival of Cooling

Two official pre-festival competitions will give visual storytellers and innovators a chance to put their perspectives and products in front of an audience that matters: the “Photography Competition” and the “Startup Pitch Competition”.

There’s something for everyone at the Festival of Cooling – Making the Invisible Visible

From 6th – 10th October 2025, the Festival of Cooling in Kigali, Rwanda, will be the go-to event exploring one of the most powerful yet underrated forces that is silently shaping the future of cooling.

View all news

Events & Webinars

Exclusive lectures and workshops from the Clean Cooling team and partners.

Festival of Cooling Day 1 - Focus on Farmers outreach

Connecting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and agri-entrepreneurs to practical post-harvest cooling solutions. Sessions will focus on reducing losses, accessing finance, and adopting technologies that improve food quality and profitability. Join us on the 6th of October.

Festival of Cooling Day 2 - Focus on the Health Sector

Spotlighting the life-saving role of cold-chains in healthcare, enabling safe storage and delivery of vaccines, blood, and antivenoms. Health workers, planners, and logisticians will gain tools, insights, and networks to strengthen health cold-chains. Join us on the 7th of October.

Festival of Cooling Day 3 - Focus on Schools & Education

Engaging the next generation of innovators and decision-makers through hands-on learning, storytelling, and creative experimentation. Students will explore real-world cooling challenges and explore careers in sustainable cooling, logistics, and climate action. Join us on the 8th of October.

Festival of Cooling Day 4 - Focus on Creatives, Startups & Innovation Hubs

Celebrating creativity, entrepreneurship, and the fusion of art and science. This will provide a launchpad for bold ideas, showcase innovations, and inspire youth-led problem-solving for climate-smart cold-chains. Join us on the 9th of October.

Festival of Cooling Day 5 - Focus on High-level Stakeholders & Policymakers

Setting the strategic tone, aligning government, finance, academia, and industry partners around a shared policy and investment roadmap for resilient, just, and climate-aligned cold-chains in Africa. Join us on the 10th of October.

View all events