Morrisons has turned some of its supermarket freezers up by three degrees in a trial to cut carbon emissions. The supermarket chain, which believes it is the first UK retailer to take the action, said the current industry standard setting freezers to -18C was set almost 100 years ago and had not been updated since, despite improvements in refrigeration.
It said the move would have no impact on food safety. Freezers in 10 stores across the country have undergone the change as the grocer takes different weather patterns and supply routes into account, with plans to roll out to other stores.
Recent comprehensive academic studies had shown that an increase of just three degrees in freezer temperatures across the supply chain would "transform" global logistics by cutting carbon emissions, saving energy and lowering costs, the supermarket said. Widespread global adoption of a change of just 3C across the supply chain would mean potential savings equivalent to 8.6% of the UK's energy consumption and could reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off the road, according to studies cited by the grocer.
Morrisons is calling on food producers, logistics operations and retailers across the UK supply chain to join the Move to -15C Coalition. It said the carbon savings would be an important boost to its ambitions to achieve net zero emissions from its own operations by 2035, while the related cost savings would enable it to cut, hold or promote prices across its 500 supermarkets and 1,600 convenience stores across the UK over the long term.
Ruth McDonald, Morrisons group corporate services director, said: "Industry standards today are based on safety, science, or convenience. The standard temperature for the storage and transport of frozen food today looks like it is simply a convention from nearly 100 years ago.
"We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology and monitoring that gives us a precise picture of frozen food temperatures throughout the supply chain. We applaud the 'Move to -15C' movement for their original thinking and willingness to challenge a long-accepted standard and in doing so identify a significant opportunity for positive progress for both the environment and the food industry.
"So, on behalf of our customers, our carbon commitments, and the planet we are enthusiastically embracing the opportunity and putting together a concrete plan and timetable to increase the freezer temperatures across our stores and frozen supply chain by 3C. As we execute our plan, we will be encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same."
Move to -15C Coalition chairman Thomas Eskesen said: "We are delighted to welcome Morrisons to our coalition, and are excited that they are taking action. In order for us to be successful with making the change to -15C, it is essential that we have representatives and support from every stage of the frozen food supply chain, so to have a large UK retailer like Morrisons on board is an important step forward for us.
"By raising the temperature of its freezers in 10 of its stores across the UK, Morrisons is demonstrating that change is possible, and we know that this seemingly small change can lead to a significant, positive, environmental impact."
