In a year defined by climate urgency and supply chain volatility, the International Institute of Refrigeration, IIR, said it convened a landmark event in Paris to mark World Refrigeration Day 2025.

With over 170 participants from 60-plus countries, IIR said the gathering spotlighted the global cold chain as the foundation of modern civilization and called on all countries to establish National Refrigeration Committees to take climate action.

“A cold chain system, the temperature-controlled supply chain for perishable goods, is the silent but indispensable backbone of modern human civilization, said Rokhmin Dahuri, former Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia.

“This is the decade where sustainable refrigeration will shape our societies. Let’s be visionary, let’s be disruptive, and let’s be inclusive,” said Yosr Allouche, Director General of IIR.

The IIR also announced the launch of a new report series, called the Global Refrigeration Outlook, to guide policy, science, and finance. Representatives from the International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration, IIAR, and member companies, including Danfoss Climate Solutions and Mayekawa, were on hand to showcase new innovations in natural refrigerants and advocate for the policies and investment that will enable the long-term growth of natural refrigerants.

IIAR member and president of CIMCO Refrigeration, Dave Malinauskas, who represented IIAR at the IIR event, said IIAR’s involvement as an industry partner represented “a huge opportunity [for both organizations] to collaborate in Europe.”

“We were excited to attend the IIR event this year,” said IIAR president Gary Schrift, who said IIAR’s presence has helped the organization build support and expand global initiatives through relationships with IIR’s policy contacts and representatives.

The IIR event brought together policy makers, researchers, and engineers, said Malinauskas, adding that climate change, decarbonization, and finding ways to reduce global food waste in an increasingly hungry world were three main themes.

“We all know about climate change, but what doesn’t get as much focus is the idea that developed cold chains reduce food waste, and in turn save lives. Right now, 30 percent of the food we produce globally is wasted. That’s enough to feed 900 million people,” he said.

IIR conference presenter, Mustapha Abdullahi, Director General, Energy Commission, Nigeria, echoed that idea, saying refrigeration and particularly energy efficiency are important in Nigeria, where unusually hot temperatures pose unique challenges to a developing cold chain.

“The major issue we’re getting is really to preserve this food,” he said. The IIR meeting was a chance to tackle problems that developing cold chains face, and the event represents a unique opportunity for IIAR to help lead a global effort to solve these problems – by extending the deep technical resources and standards IIAR is known for, said Malinauskas.

“IIR sees themselves as facilitators, and IIAR, with its standards and technical resources, fits in at that same level,” he said. The IIR’s main initiative at its World Refrigeration Day event was to propose the formation of national committees that IIR said would bring together ministries, academia, and industry to align policy, investment, and workforce development.

“Refrigeration is no longer a side issue; it is core infrastructure,” said IIR Director General Yosr Allouche in her keynote presentation. Meanwhile, representatives for the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol emphasized the importance of early action in emerging sectors, particularly in developing countries, aligning with the Kigali Amendment’s goals.

The event’s emphasis on natural refrigerants and integrated cold chain solutions spotlighted technologies showcased by Carrier Transicold, Chereau, Danfoss, Mayekawa, and others attending the event to demonstrate the viability of low-GWP systems across transport, food processing, and healthcare.

IIR and IIAR member Andy Pearson of Star Refrigeration underscored the need for cross-collaboration on a global scale, saying of the global refrigeration environment, “We must break down silos. Refrigeration touches everything, from vaccines to food to climate. We need integrated solutions.” Miki Yamanaka of Daikin added, “We’re seeing real momentum in applying low-GWP technologies. But we need enabling policies and predictable investment to scale.”

The IIR event video and attendee interviews captured the energy and diversity of the event. Stephen Gill, founder of World Refrigeration Day, reflected on the sector’s evolution: “We’ve gone from raising awareness to driving action. This year’s event shows how far we’ve come—and how far we still need to go.”

The IIR said it hoped its call for National Refrigeration Committees would be more than symbolic, adding that the idea is meant to be a blueprint for coordinated action. For policymakers, it offers a framework to align climate goals with economic development.

For engineers and end-users, it signals a shift toward integrated, sustainable systems. And for sustainability professionals, it reinforces the role of refrigeration in achieving climate targets, IIR said in a statement.

Above all, the call for collaboration is a global, all-hands-on-deck moment for IIR. “We are witnessing the rebirth of the IIR, more relevant than ever, more united than ever,” said Professor Min-Soo Kim, President of the IIR General Conference.