World Refrigeration Day celebrates the people and technologies responsible for creating and maintaining the world we live in, a world dependent upon temperature-controlled environments. Centered around June 26, the event is supported globally by industry, professional groups, scientific and engineering associations, as well as by governments and individuals.
The WRD 23 campaign “Next Generation Cooling” focuses on the future of cooling technology and the people who make cooling possible. The campaign raises awareness of how the cooling industry is adapting to meet environmental challenges and opportunities arising from increasing demand for cooling solutions in a warming world.
Next Generation Cooling is important because it helps to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions of cooling systems while protecting the ozone layer.
FACT: Cost-effective, energy-efficiency improvements of over 50% are possible for refrigerators and air conditioners.
FACT: Air Conditioning units are forecast to rise to 1.5 billion in 2030 from 900 million in 2019.
FACT: Household refrigerator stocks are forecast to rise to 2 billion in 2030 from 1 billion in 2019.
FACT: 20% of electricity used in buildings is for space conditioning and cooling energy demand is anticipated to triple by 2050.
FACT: 1.3 billion tonnes of food – a third of total food produced for human consumption – is lost or wasted annually, including 475 million tonnes due to insufficient cooling.
FACT: 30% of the world’s population is exposed to deadly heatwaves more than 20 days a year.
Next Generation Cooling begins by implementing technology advancements emanating from both within the cooling industry and from other disciplines impacting modern life, such as artificial intelligence and renewable and stored energy development.
It requires an expanded and skilled workforce–men and women working in various capacities wherever cooling is used–meaning everywhere. The cooling industry needs to recruit, train and retain people equipped with the knowledge and experience that a modern, forward-thinking industry requires.
No one should expect the cooling solutions of the future to be the same as those from the past, nor should anyone expect the workforce to be the same either. The future is in our hands.
Next Generation Cooling tells the story of how our wellbeing depends upon sustainable cooling, and how cooling technology choices and an evolving industry can safeguard the well-being of future generations.
Join the global community conversation using the hashtags #NextGenCooling and WREFD23.”