The secure delivery of temperaturecontrolled shipments has evolved drastically in recent years, especially in regard to visibility that products are not compromised during transit. But, within that same period of time we’ve seen greater challenges to the cold chain emerge.
From a geopolitical perspective, trade wars and tariffs have caused delays and difficulties, whilst regulatory challenges, for example the still-lingering consequences of Brexit, have weakened some regional cold chain infrastructures. With major pharma producing regions such as the EU and US striving for greater resilience, the upheaval of reshoring and nearshoring is another recent complication to long term cold chain planning.
Alongside the impact of manufacturing relocation, economic sanctions and regulatory restrictions, are the ongoing complexities of navigating conflict-affected regions which may have limited cold storage facilities, damaged transport networks and complex access processes, further complicating the construction of a resilient distribution network.
Intensifying environmental pressures are also adding strain, both in terms of the pursuit of sustainability goals and the realworld impact of climate change. Whilst the industry is making great strides in reducing carbon emissions across Scope 1 and 2, Scope 3 emissions (those most relevant to supply chain) still account for 80–90% of the pharmaceutical sector’s total climate impact. The responsible specification of cold chain packaging is also under scrutiny, with The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Guidelines for the International Packaging and Shipping of Vaccines (2025), for example, placing a clear emphasis on the role of reusable, sustainable packaging.
Meanwhile, the impact of environmental neglect in decades past is manifesting today as growing incidents of extreme weather. The number of weather-related disasters has increased by a factor of five over the past 50 years, with extreme rainfall events increasing globally, and a growing frequency of tropical cyclones in historically uncommon locations.
