Automation is Greening the Food Supply Chain

Challenge #3: Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Sustainability is now a central social tenet.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden called for cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030, on the same day the country rejoined the Paris Agreement. This is a signal to businesses in the United States – and around the world – that sustainability and energy efficiency are more important than ever. Bringing it closer to home, the call to action for the supply chain community is clear – we need to take action and promote environmental sustainability, reduce carbon footprint impacts and drive a greener supply chain.

According to the World Resources Institute, global annual greenhouse emissions have increased over 40% since 1990 – a number that’s continuing to grow (Ge and Friedrich, 2020). The cold chain industry owes sustainability transparency to our consumers, our partners and to future generations. Working together to collectively reduce the industry’s carbon footprint continues to be a critical global agenda item, and we are uniquely positioned to make dramatic impacts on the environment.