The Cold Chain Federation has welcomed the Government’s new report on extending the Climate Change Agreement (CCA), securing the £10 million a year tax saving scheme for the industry for five more years.

The voluntary scheme, which was due to end in 2023 and had been closed to new entrants since 2018, has been extended to 2025 and reopened for new applications.

The decision behind the extension follows a period of discussions between Government and the Cold Chain Federation (CCF) which owns and manages the scheme for the cold chain industry.

More than 400 facilities are already signatories to the cold storage CCA, meeting targets for improving the energy-efficiency of their facilities in return for a discount on their climate change levy bills.

The scheme has so far seen the industry deliver a 16% improvement in energy efficiency across cold storage between 2008 and 2018, according to the CCF.

CCF chief executive, Shane Brennan, said: “The cold storage CCA is good for the environment and good for participating businesses’ balance sheets. Convincing Government to propose extending the scheme and reopening it to new facilities was an important result for our members and I am pleased that this new report confirms the decision and sets a fast timetable for moving the legislative process forwards.

“The Cold Chain Federation manages the cold storage CCA and we can provide support and advice to businesses wanting to apply for the first time, and to those wanting to add a new facility to their existing agreement. The Government’s new report also gives a bit of leeway to the original deadline for new applications which is useful, but applying can take time so I urge businesses to act soon and contact us before they miss the boat.”