Climate crisis forces humanitarian medical cold chains to re-evaluate fossil-fuel reliance
The climate crisis has prompted supply chains to rethink operations and shift from fossil fuel-based to sustainable energy services. Sonja Saari, doctoral researcher at Hanken School of Economics summarises the dilemma:
“HMCCs as critical supply chains are still heavily dependent on fossil fuel-based energy services to ensure operational resilience, while sustainable options are not yet seen as equally secure, feasible, or cost-effective. Yet, urgent action to shift away from fossil fuels is also needed in the humanitarian sector.”
In her doctoral research, Saari explores how critical, but risk-averse and energy intensive, HMCCs can increase their use of sustainable energy solutions without losing their ability to operate reliably. Saari offers valuable insights on how to balance this trade-off.
“Sustainability and resilience should not exist as trade-offs even when it comes to marginal, but critical systems such as HMCCs. Instead, the alignment strategies that my research identified suggests that it is possible to manage both at the same time, helping HMCCs become more flexible, resilient, and climate-responsible”, Saari believes.
Saari looks at what drives HMCCs to choose certain energy services and how those choices affect their move toward more sustainable options. Making this shift means being open to new supply chain structures and strategies that facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, and stronger collaboration between humanitarian actors, the private sector, and governments.
There are barriers to such a transformation, such as financial, technical and resource constraints, but ultimately it helps HMCCs act responsibly for the environment while boosting their long-term economic efficiency and resilience.
“My research provides a starting point for supporting humanitarian organisations integrate sustainable energy goals. It also highlights the need to look at energy as a fully planned, budgeted part of HMCC operations, how it’s produced, delivered, and used,” Saari explains.
You can read the whole thesis here:
Making it greener while keeping it cold: sustainable energy services for a humanitarian medical cold chain
Sonja Saari will publicly defend her doctoral thesis on December 12th at 12:00 at Hanken School of Economics, Arkadiankatu 22, Helsinki. You can participate in the defence on-site or via this Teams-link. The details of the event are available here:
Sonja Saari doctoral defence
Opponent: Professor Nathan Kunz, Bern University of Applied Science
Custos: Associate Professor Diego Vega Bernal, Hanken School of Economics