Thomas Eskesen appointed Chairman of ‘The Move to Minus 15°C’ Coalition as industry heavyweights continue to pledge support to landmark sustainability initiative

• Eskesen, who spent almost two decades at Maersk, brings over 35 years of experience to his role as head of ‘The Move to Minus 15°C’ Coalition 

• The Coalition continues to see support from industry with Americold, Holt Logistics and JB Hunt the latest to pledge their commitment to a more sustainable future 

The Move to Minus 15°C Coalition has today announced the appointment of the world’s leading refrigerated cargo expert, Thomas Eskesen, to the position of Chair. The appointment comes as the Coalition continues to bolster its member base, with five new industry leaders pledging their support for a move to -15°C.

Redefining frozen food temperature standards to reduce carbon emissions

The Coalition, which was initiated by global logistics firm DP World in 2023, is an industry-wide alliance that aims to redefine frozen food temperature standards to reduce emissions, cut supply chain costs and secure food resources for the world’s growing population.     

Eskesen brings with him over 35 years of experience and a proven international track record, having held several leadership positions at Maersk, including a decade as Vice President, Head of Reefer and Special Cargo. In this role he was responsible for setting strategic direction, asset planning, product development and innovation. 

Thomas Eskesen’s Extensive Experience and Strategic Vision

In 2015, he founded Eskesen Advisory, which specialises in advising executives on their unique challenges and opportunities within refrigerated cargo. Here, he has spent the last decade sharing his extensive experience in reefer products and services, strategic planning, and reefer innovation to key players in refrigerated transport and executives seeking a fresh perspective on their business model and strategy. Eskesen also holds the position of Chairman for the TPM Cold Chain conference. 

To date, the Coalition has secured support from a significant portion of the world’s shipping market. Its newest members include Americold, a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics, Holt Logistics, a leading freight transportation and logistics service provider, and JB Hunt, a U.S. transport and logistics company. 

Other members who have already pledged support to the Coalition’s mission include leading industry organizations, such as U.S. based AJC Group, A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) of Denmark; Daikin of Japan; DP World of UAE; the Global Cold Chain Alliance; Switzerland’s Kuehne + Nagel International and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), U.S. based Lineage, Germany’s Hapag Lloyd; Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE).  

On Wednesday 6^th March, the Coalition will host its first in-person open member meeting at this year’s S&P Global Premier Shipping and Supply Chain Conference, TPM24, in Long Beach, California, where members will come together to collaborate and discuss how to work towards its goal of achieving a move to -15°C.   

Growing Industry Support for Sustainable Frozen Food Transportation

Thomas Eskesen, Chair of The Move to Minus 15˚C, said: “The aim of the Coalition is simple: to create an international alliance of committed partners that will transform the global logistics landscape, cut carbon emissions, save energy, and lower costs by changing the temperature that frozen food is stored and transported at.  

“Frozen food standards have not been updated in almost a century, so they are long overdue for revision. It has been proven that a small temperature increase could have huge benefits, so the Coalition’s aim is to act as a conduit by bringing industry together to change what’s possible as the sector looks for viable ways to achieve its shared net zero ambition.  

“We’re in the very early days of the Coalition’s establishment so it’s great to see such vested interest from key industry players, and we offer a warm welcome to our new Coalition members. We’re looking forward to a productive first meeting at TPM24, where will discuss key priorities and set the direction and vision for the year ahead.”  

The Move to Minus 15°C Coalition was established following the launch of the Three Degrees of Change report, an academic report supported by DP World and delivered by experts from the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham, and London South Bank University.   

Most frozen food is transported and stored at -18°C, a standard that was set 93 years ago and has not changed since.  The report found that a move to -15°C could make a significant environmental impact with no compromise on food safety. Furthermore, the report revealed that a 3-degree difference could save 17.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent annual emissions of 3.8m cars. If achieved, this change could cut costs in the supply chain by at least 5% and in some areas by up to 12%.