Sustainability and Service Hand in Hand: Building a Smarter, Cleaner Cold Chain for our Clients  – Carlos Rodriguez, CEO

At Constellation, we’ve never seen sustainability as a compromise.

Done right, it strengthens every part of the cold chain – making it leaner, more efficient, more resilient, and ultimately more aligned with the goals of our customers. Across our network, we’ve made long-term, meaningful progress toward this goal – combining investment, innovation, and collaboration to deliver a cold chain that is both more sustainable and more service-focused than ever before.

Today, I want to share how we’re making that vision a reality – and why every sustainability initiative we undertake is designed to improve performance for our customers while helping reduce environmental impact.

Your Smarter, Cleaner Cold Chain

Reaching net-zero by 2050 is not just an ambition – it’s a responsibility we’ve embedded into the way we operate. With operations across Europe and customers who rely on us to move critical goods reliably and safely, we recognise the role we play in decarbonising the supply chain. That’s why we’ve committed to science-aligned targets:

• A 54.6% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2033
• A 32.5% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by the same date

These commitments are already shaping how we invest, how we innovate, and how we support our customers’ sustainability goals.

Take our refrigerant transition. We’ve proactively moved away from F-gas-based systems in many of our facilities, adopting environmentally friendlier alternatives ahead of regulatory deadlines. The result: a lower carbon footprint and improved long-term efficiency.

We’re also improving the sustainability of our transport network. Our entire vehicle fleet is now 100% Euro 6 compliant, and we’ve taken additional steps to reduce emissions from refrigeration units by installing electric trailer plugs and investing in hydraulic generators at UK sites. In the Nordics, we offer biofuel delivery options for customers seeking cleaner transport solutions.

All of these efforts support one goal: helping customers reduce their Scope 3 emissions while ensuring the reliability they expect from Constellation.

Generating Clean Energy at Scale

We continue to scale our renewable energy capabilities across the network. In 2024, Constellation generated approximately 10.9 GWh of solar energy across our sites. New solar installations are expanding that capacity further, including a 5 MWp rollout across the UK and Norway and the use of repurposed railway sleepers for ground-mounted arrays in Norway.

Altogether, our group solar capacity now exceeds 12 MW, helping reduce reliance on grid power and making our network more resilient to energy market fluctuations.

For customers, this means a more secure and sustainable cold chain – one that reflects their own commitments to low-carbon operations.

Innovation and Automation

Improving efficiency is key to delivering better service and reducing environmental impact – and nowhere is this clearer than in our use of innovation and automation.

In Denmark and Norway, we’re trialling AI-powered energy management systems that adjust cooling based on real-time supply and weather conditions. When renewable sources like wind are abundant, the system increases energy use; when supply tightens, it scales back. This kind of dynamic energy use helps lower emissions without compromising performance.

Our newest automated development in Wolverhampton takes this a step further. Unlike traditional crane-based facilities, this site uses 4-way shuttle technology, which offers greater flexibility and energy efficiency. By building, sequencing, and dispatching loads as needed, the system increases speed and reliability while consuming less energy.

For customers, that translates into faster turnaround times, improved accuracy, and fewer delays – all with a lower carbon footprint.

We’re also trialling automated picking systems to reduce the physical strain on our team members. In cold storage environments, minimising manual labour improves staff wellbeing and performance – and it also enhances efficiency, speed, and consistency for our customers.

Reinvesting in Efficiency

Our sustainability strategy includes major investment in energy-saving upgrades across the network. At our site in Val-de-Meuse in France, a €500k investment in refrigeration plant optimisation resulted in a 40% reduction in energy use. This included frequency control upgrades on compressors and evaporators, as well as installation of a modern condenser.

We’re applying similar improvements across other facilities, from LED lighting and best-in-class insulation to rapid-roll doors and newer, more efficient systems.

These improvements are being embedded into new developments as well. Our high-bay facility in Mouscron in Belgium leads on automation and energy efficiency. In the UK, our Grimsby expansion – a key hub for seafood – includes plans for MSC certification, supporting customers with traceable, responsibly sourced supply chains.

Across our network, every site we build or upgrade is contributing to a more sustainable cold chain – and a more competitive service offer.

Working Together for Greater Impact

We know real progress requires collaboration. That’s why Constellation is proud to be part of the Move to -15°C Coalition, a global initiative exploring the transition of frozen food temperatures from -18°C to -15°C. Research shows this could reduce emissions by 17.7 million metric tonnes of CO₂ annually – equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off the road – without compromising food safety.

We’re actively involved in sharing insights, co-developing pilots, and supporting research to understand how this change could be implemented across the supply chain.

At the same time, we’re working on near-term interventions – such as optimising temperature ranges where feasible – that help us reduce emissions today while laying the groundwork for broader industry transformation.

Building a Better Cold Chain

Every action we take – whether it’s switching refrigerants, installing solar panels, or rolling out automation – is designed to advance both our environmental goals and the quality of service we offer our customers.

Sustainability isn’t a trade-off. It’s a way to deliver greater reliability, flexibility, and transparency across the cold chain. It helps customers reduce emissions, strengthen their own supply chain performance, and meet the growing demand for low-carbon logistics.

As we continue this journey, our focus is on scaling what works, integrating innovation across regions, and ensuring every investment enhances both environmental and operational performance.

We are building a cold chain that is smarter, cleaner, and better – for our customers, their customers, and the future we all share.

Get in touch.