Statement given by Didier Coulomb, Director General of the IIR, during MOP 34

Dear Delegates,

 

The refrigeration sector, which includes the cold chain for food and health products, air conditioning, cryogenics and heat pumps, is now recognised within the United Nations as a development priority for its benefits to human life, and an environmental priority for its impact on climate change, beyond the stratospheric ozone layer. We are happy about that.

 

The IIR comprises 59 member countries from all over the world and constitutes a global network of experts from academia and industry.

 

The IIR is already involved in a number of research, development and demonstration projects, either alone or in partnership: establishing cold chains for food in Bangladesh and India for the World Bank; using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant in India and developing sustainable fisheries with Norway; using solar energy and natural refrigerants for hospitals and pharmacies in Africa with the European Union (EU); and carbon neutrality strategies by 2050 for the food chain in Europe with the European Union.

 

The IIR produces numerous publications aimed at technicians and decision-makers: a guide to cold storage in developing countries without an electricity grid, with the World Bank; informatory notes on the cold chain for food, on air conditioning for cars or buildings, on passive cooling, on solar cooling, on low-greenhouse-effect refrigerants, on caloric cooling technologies, on energy storage, on energy recovery and on heat pumps.

 

With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic (where refrigeration used for vaccines proved to be useful), our conferences and congresses in our different member countries have resumed.

The IIR is ready to support you in making the necessary transitions, both in terms of lower GWP refrigerants and efficient energy-saving technologies, as well as in relation to training.

 

Thank you!

 

Didier Coulomb, Director General of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR)