Emergent Cold LatAm Achieves Zero Carbon Certifications in Colombian Plants

Emergent Cold LatAm announced that three of its facilities in Colombia have achieved new international environmental performance standards. The Buga and Girón plants obtained EDGE Zero Carbon certification, while Funza achieved EDGE Advanced and also has LEED Zero Energy.

Another recognition was granted by the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), an organization that represents this industry worldwide. Twelve of the company's warehouses received the Gold classification from the Energy Excellence Recognition Program, including three Colombian plants located in Cartagena, Funza and Girón.

The company highlighted that these certifications represent a significant advance for the refrigerated and frozen food industry in Colombia and Latin America, because the cold chain for these types of products requires refrigeration systems that operate permanently and generate high energy demand.

According to the firm, reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable sources, and decreasing emissions are some of the main challenges facing the industry in its transition towards operations with a lower environmental impact.

According to Emergent Cold LatAm's 2025 Sustainability Outlook, renewable sources accounted for 65% of the company's energy matrix, five percentage points more than in 2024, while its operational capacity increased by 52%. In the same period, non-renewable energy consumption from external suppliers was reduced by 13%.

"For a company that operates infrastructure with high energy demand, sustainability implies taking responsibility for growing while reducing the impact of our operations. These results demonstrate that it is possible to expand the infrastructure that the food industry needs and, at the same time, advance in energy efficiency, use of renewable energies, and emission reduction. That is the standard we want to continue raising in Colombia and Latin America," said Moises Ventocilla, Engineering Director at Emergent Cold LatAm.

International certifications EDGE Zero Carbon, EDGE Advanced, and LEED Zero Energy recognize buildings designed and operated under high efficiency standards. EDGE Advanced, developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, requires at least 40% energy savings and minimum 20% reductions in water consumption and embodied energy in materials.

EDGE Zero Carbon, the highest level of the EDGE system, requires having previously achieved EDGE Advanced and operating with net zero carbon emissions. LEED Zero Energy, granted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), recognizes buildings whose annual energy consumption is offset by renewable energy generated or acquired.

Emergent Cold LatAm's strategy in Colombia set a precedent with the Buga plant, which became the first EDGE Zero Carbon certified real estate project in the country, a recognition that accredits buildings capable of achieving the highest international standards of energy efficiency and environmental performance.

During its design and construction, the facility managed to reduce energy consumption by 56%, water consumption by 51%, and embodied energy in materials by 64%, to subsequently operate with net zero carbon emissions.

To this milestone is now added the Girón plant, which recently obtained EDGE Zero Carbon certification, strengthening the company's strategy to develop increasingly efficient infrastructure for the storage of refrigerated and frozen foods in Colombia. The facility achieved savings of 50% in energy, 39% in water, and 82% in embodied energy in materials.

The Funza plant, the company's largest in the country, has LEED Zero Energy certification, which recognizes buildings capable of balancing their annual energy consumption through renewable sources. In 2026, this facility completed an expansion and also obtained EDGE Advanced certification, with savings of 44% in energy, 54% in water, and 48% in embodied energy in materials.

In Colombia, this strategy continues to advance as part of the company's expansion plan, which currently operates seven warehouses in Buga, Cartagena, Funza/Bogotá, and Girón/Bucaramanga; it will soon begin operations in a new facility in Cali and is evaluating future investments in Medellín and Barranquilla.

The advances achieved in Colombia are part of a strategy that Emergent Cold LatAm is developing in the 11 countries where it has a presence. Currently, the company has 24 facilities certified under EDGE or LEED standards, including nine with zero carbon certification.

During 2025, the company increased solar energy consumption by 394%, while the installed capacity of its panels went from 11.9 MW to 19.9 MW. In the same period, it reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by 23%, despite the 52% growth recorded in its operational capacity.

"The transformation of food infrastructure has already begun. The challenge now is for each new investment to raise the standard: more energy efficiency, greater use of renewable sources, and fewer emissions. Colombia has the opportunity to continue strengthening its infrastructure for refrigerated and frozen foods under parameters that are already setting the course for the industry in Latin America and the world," concluded Ventocilla.