POLICY PULSE – MARCH 2026
POLICY HEADLINES
What’s Happening
Middle East Conflict + Energy Market volatility
An increasingly protracted conflict in the Middle East is already hitting fuel and energy prices. Members will have different exposures to future rises based on their specific contract and should be engaging with their brokers and suppliers on the best course of action. CCF member Ameresco publish weekly advice and forecasts on electricity and gas markets, which you can access here.
We will be running a special webinar on the 2nd of April at 10am to discuss the latest situation and its impact on the cold chain, featuring CCF CEO Phil Pluck, Tom Southall and Peter Pharoah from Ameresco. Register here.
Cold Chain Federation launches first UK-wide TRU Census to evidence sector progress on decarbonisation
The Cold Chain Federation has launched the UK’s first census of transport refrigeration units (TRUs), designed to build a credible evidence base on the progress, investment and challenges across the sector as it transitions towards lower-emission technologies.
The TRU Census was officially launched at the Cold Chain Federation’s Climate & Energy Summit on 19 March and will be open to responses from any business operating at least one refrigerated van, rigid vehicle or trailer for approximately two months.
The initiative is open to both members of the Cold Chain Federation and the wider industry and aims to capture, for the first time, sector-wide insights into transport refrigeration technologies, investment trends and operational realities across the UK cold chain.
The data gathered will help demonstrate the scale of innovation already taking place across the industry, identify barriers to further investment, and strengthen the sector’s engagement with government as policymakers develop decarbonisation policy.
The TRU Census is open now and will close at the end of May.
To take part here.
WHAT TO WATCH
What’s Ahead
Accelerating Energy Networks Consultation (April 2026): An upcoming consultation seeks views on how to speed up the development and connection of energy network infrastructure across the UK, with a focus on reducing delays, improving coordination across the system, and enabling more efficient delivery of electricity networks to support rising demand and the transition to net zero.
Given the cold chain sector’s significant reliance on continuous and reliable energy supply to operate temperature-controlled storage and distribution facilities, we are responding to this consultation to ensure the specific needs of energy-intensive logistics infrastructure are reflected. Our response will highlight the importance of prioritising critical infrastructure within energy planning, improving grid access for cold chain facilities, and ensuring that network development supports resilience, capacity, and future growth of essential supply chains.
Employment Law Changes (April 2026): Employment laws are changing, with the first major reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 coming into force from April 2026. Further changes will be introduced gradually through 2026 and 2027, giving employers time to prepare and adapt.
Key measures taking effect from April 2026 include updates to Statutory Sick Pay, paternity leave and unpaid parental leave becoming day-one rights, the introduction of Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave, stronger collective redundancy protections, enhanced whistleblowing safeguards, and simpler enforcement through the new Fair Work Agency.
We advise members to begin familiarising themselves with the Government’s dedicated guidance hub, which sets out what’s changing, key timelines and practical steps for employers. Members may wish to begin preparing now by reviewing HR policies, contracts and handbooks, checking payroll systems, and briefing line managers so changes can be clearly communicated to the workforce.
UK-EU SPS Call for Information (April 2026): The government is also seeking views to inform the development of future sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) arrangements between the UK and the EU, with the aim of reducing barriers to trade in agri-food products whilst maintaining appropriate biosecurity and food safety standards.
We are responding to this call to ensure the operational realities and requirements of the cold chain are fully considered in any future SPS framework. Given the sector’s central role in the import, export, storage and distribution of perishable goods, our response will highlight the importance of minimising friction at the border, maintaining the integrity of temperature-controlled supply chains, and enabling the efficient movement of food and pharmaceutical products between the UK and EU. This is particularly important at a time of continued pressure on global supply chains and ongoing sensitivity around border friction.
ADVOCACY SPOTLIGHT
What we’re doing
The Cold Chain Federation Food Resilience White Paper
We are currently developing a major new white paper focused on the UK’s food resilience and security, and the essential role the cold chain plays in underpinning both. This work comes at a time of increasing pressure on supply chains, with risks ranging from energy and trade disruption to climate impacts and global conflict.
The paper, officially launching at our Parliamentary Reception on May 12th, will set out a clear, evidence-based case for why the cold chain should be considered a fundamental component of national infrastructure, alongside a detailed assessment of the risks it faces and the implications for the UK’s ability to maintain access to essential goods during times of national disruption.
Importantly, this is not intended as criticism for the sake of it. We know the government lacks a food security strategy, and we also know that a growing number of MPs and government officials are growing aware of just how important the cold chain is to ensuring food reaches UK citizens. And right now, our critical sector is not included where it needs to be. This paper will offer a solution, offering 10 clear, highly informed policy recommendations aimed to better recognise, protect and support the cold chain, and ultimately protect the nations food security at a time of increasing uncertainty, volatility and disruption.
Cold Chain Federation Respond to the HGV Ban Consultation
This month we responded to two consultations on behalf of our members and the cold chain sector as a whole. A key point we raised throughout our response to the HGV ban consultation, which explores potential phase-out dates, how different vehicle weights and use cases could be treated, and what supporting measures may be needed to enable the transition, was the need for any HGV phase-out timelines to align with, and take account of, the decarbonisation pathway for transport refrigeration units (TRUs).
We noted the unique operational realities of temperature-controlled vehicles, highlighting the fact that without clear policy in place for TRUs, there is a significant risk that by 2040 we could see zero-emission HGVs still operating with diesel-powered refrigeration units – ultimately undermining the intended carbon reductions associated with HGV decarbonisation.
For our sector, certainty is crucial. Cold chain logistics operators must be able to make long-term financial and operational decisions with confidence when investing in zero-emission vehicles and associated technologies. This requires a policy framework that actively supports, rather than hinders the transition
We used our consultation the underline this and reinforce the need for government investment in the crucial infrastructure needed to support the transition, including investment in the grid and suitable roadside facilities. Through our response, we are pressing for a joined-up approach that reflects operational realities of cold chain logistics, supports investment, and delivers realistic and achievable timelines for the sector.
You can read our full consultation response here.
Cold Chain Federation Responds to the National Planning Policy Framework Consultation
This month, we also responded to the government’s consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets the overarching rules for how development is planned and approved across England. The Framework plays a critical role in shaping decisions on land use, infrastructure investment and economic growth.
We previously responded to the NPPF consultation in 2024 and welcomed the fact that the latest proposals included explicit references to freight logistics, storage and distribution. This reflected a growing recognition of the essential role supply chain infrastructure plays in supporting population growth, food security, public health and economic resilience.
In our latest response, we emphasised the need for cross-boundary planning to support a nationally connected cold chain network, stronger recognition of cold chain infrastructure alongside housing delivery, and a planning system that actively enables decarbonisation and climate resilience for energy-intensive logistics. We also clearly highlighted the cold chain’s role as a critical enabler of the Industrial Strategy and other key national strategies referenced in the consultation. Whilst the cold chain is not explicitly recognised as one of the Industrial Strategy’s eight key growth sectors, it underpins many of them and should therefore be given greater recognition in planning decisions.
You can read our full consultation response here.
Engagement with DEFRA Minister on Food Resilience
This month we also wrote directly to DEFRA Minister of State, Angela Eagle, to raise urgent concerns around the resilience and security of the UK’s food supply in the context of escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
In our letter, we highlighted the central role the cold chain plays in maintaining food availability, and emphasised that, in a crisis scenario, the cold chain is the only national infrastructure capable of sustaining controlled food supply beyond a matter of days, with the capacity to support availability over extended periods when supported by appropriate government planning. We also drew attention to the scale and complexity of current global supply chains, the UK’s reliance on imports, and the increasing exposure to risks arising from geopolitical instability, trade disruption, and rising costs across energy and logistics.
Our letter called for greater collaboration between government and industry, including the development of a more joined-up approach to food resilience planning. In particular, we urged government to formally recognise the cold chain as Critical National Infrastructure, and to work with the sector to develop both an Incident Response Plan and a longer-term Disaster Recovery Plan to ensure continuity of supply during future crises.
With global instability continuing to increase, we stressed that food security must be treated as a core component of national security, requiring coordinated, forward-thinking planning between government and our sector.
You can read our full letter here.
MONTHLY TEMPERATURE CHECK
As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to evolve, they have the potential to affect global supply chains in a number of ways, from international shipping routes to energy markets and operational costs. For the cold chain, which depends on the reliable movement, storage and temperature control of perishable goods, even indirect impacts can have significant consequences.
We’d like to understand which of these potential risks you feel is most concerning for the sector right now. Please take a moment to share your view in our poll. The poll will close 07/04/2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR FEEDBACK ON ANY ISSUES IN THIS BRIEFING PLEASE CONTACT MADDY COUPE POLICY MANAGER [email protected].
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