Morrisons has become the first UK food retailer to turn the temperature up on its freezers in a bid to tackle climate change.

It has made the move in support of the Move to -15°C Coalition.

From this month freezers at 10 of its stores will be turned up to -15° from the industry standard of -18°, which Morrisons says “was set almost 100 years and has not been updated since, despite improvements in refrigeration”.

It adds that latest research shows that an increase of three degrees on freezer temperatures would “transform the global logistics landscape by cutting carbon emissions, saving energy and lowering costs”.

This research estimates the change could lead to potential savings equivalent to 8.6% of the UK’s energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.8m cars off the road.

By backing the Move to -15°C Coalition the supermarket is also pledging to advocate for increasing freezer temperatures across the UK food industry.

The freezer temperature increase is part of Morrison’s commitment to be net zero by 2035.

“Industry standards today are based on safety, science or convenience,” said Morrisons’ group corporate services director Ruth McDonald.

“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 -15°C 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 3°C.

“As we execute our plan, we will be encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same.”

Move to -15°C Coalition chair Thomas Eskesen added: “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 -15°C, 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.”

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