
The Cooling Revolution: How Technology Could Cut Refrigeration Emissions by 50%
From Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast by Ania Lichtarowicz
May 19, 2026 · 25 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of refrigeration on climate change and features interviews with startup founder Isabel Pulido and inclusive design expert Reginé Gilbert.
Refrigeration’s Climate Problem and the Startup Trying to Solve It Refrigeration is responsible for a huge share of global carbon emissions but Colombian startup NanoFreeze believes biotechnology could change that. Founder and CEO Isabel Pulido explains how her company’s bio-nanotechnology is designed to dramatically reduce energy use in cooling systems, improve cold-chain access and lower costs for industries from food transport to pharmaceuticals. We also discuss why she’s been selected for the Cartier Women’s Initiative, one of the world’s leading programmes for female entrepreneurs. Why Is Tech Still Failing People with Disabilities? From inaccessible apps to AI systems that overlook disabled users, inclusive design is still missing from much of today’s technology. Inclusive design expert and author Reginé Gilbert joins us to discuss why accessibility continues to be treated as an afterthought — and how emerging technologies like AI, virtual reality and spatial computing risk deepening exclusion if companies don’t build inclusivity in from the beginning. She’s co-author of a new book: “ Digital Accessibility Ethics : Disability Inclusion in all Things Tech.” The proramme is…
People in this episode
Host: Ania Lichtarowicz
Guests: Isabel Pulido, Reginé Gilbert
Topics covered
- refrigeration emissions
- biotechnology
- energy use
- cold-chain access
- inclusive design
- disability inclusion
- emerging technologies
Keywords
- refrigeration
- carbon emissions
- biotechnology
- inclusive design
- accessibility
- AI
- virtual reality
- cold-chain
- female entrepreneurs
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NanoFreeze, Cartier Women’s Initiative
Books & works: Digital Accessibility Ethics : Disability Inclusion in all Things Tech
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