LATAM Cargo, Kuehne+Nagel, Elite Flower Commit to SAF
To celebrate Mother's Day, LATAM Cargo, Kuehne+Nagel, and Elite Flower have collaborated by purchasing over 25,000 litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
This quantity of SAF would offset the emissions produced by a cargo flight on the Bogota-Miami route, specifically transporting a large shipment of flowers, primarily roses.
The acquired SAF is a type of fuel derived from alternative sources like waste, fats, and oils, which results in low-CO2 fuel production. It is blended with conventional fuel to create the final product.
The SAF purchased in this instance was produced from used cooking oil, which undergoes treatment and blending with traditional jet fuel. Given that SAF has an approximately 80% CO2 reduction factor throughout its life cycle compared to conventional fuel, the companies procured the necessary quantity of SAF to achieve the emissions reduction target on the mentioned route.
Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo, highlights that this initiative represents a significant milestone for the LATAM Group's commitment to combat climate change. The organisation aims to make a substantial contribution to the region's sustainable development and has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The SAF purchase aligns with this objective, progressing the SAF agenda and emphasising the significance of collaboration throughout the logistics chain to drive substantial change. Bianchi hopes that such examples will leverage South America's potential for SAF generation.
For Kuehne+Nagel, a global logistics company, this purchase signifies a crucial step in their pursuit of tangible solutions for diverse customers and industries, with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions and environmental impact in supply chains.
Ingo Goldhammer, President of Kuehne+Nagel for South and Central America, stresses the importance of addressing climate change and accelerating efforts to mitigate global warming.
The alliance between Kuehne+Nagel, Elite Flower, and LATAM Cargo demonstrates that collaboration among companies is the most effective approach to implementing concrete actions, where each organisation contributes its expertise and experience towards a common goal that benefits everyone.
Galo Sanchez, Executive Vice President of Elite Group, a renowned company in the floral industry, accentuates the company's commitment to sustainability across all business units. Recognising the environmental challenges of air freight transportation of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, Elite Group is dedicated to reducing emissions and working towards its net-zero goal. By directly investing in SAF, Elite Group takes a significant step towards emission reduction and contributes to a more environmentally friendly future. This initiative aligns with their broader sustainability strategy as they explore innovative solutions for a greener supply chain.
According to IATA, the use of SAF has the potential to play a crucial role in decarbonising the aviation industry. However, the global availability of SAF is currently limited, primarily due to the lack of necessary conditions for research, development, and production.
South America possesses abundant natural resources and expertise, making it highly capable of making a significant contribution to climate action through the production of SAF. Therefore, collaborative efforts among various industry stakeholders are essential to promoting SAF production in the region.
LATAM Group's sustainability commitments
In 2021, the LATAM Group introduced its updated sustainability strategy, outlining ambitious goals for the future. By 2030, it aims for SAF to account for 5% of its total fuel consumption. Additionally, it strives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, eliminate single-use plastics by 2023, and become a zero-waste-to-landfill group by 2027.
Kuehne+Nagel, on the other hand, recently unveiled its new four-year business strategy. To accomplish its objectives, it identified priority pillars, including the Kuehne+Nagel Experience, Digital Ecosystem, Market Potential, and Living ESG.
The latter pillar specifically focuses on implementing concrete measures to reduce environmental impact while actively engaging with communities through a robust governance structure. As part of its commitment to decarbonising the industry, the company has established significant global agreements to provide SAF across the 100 countries where it operates.
Furthermore, Kuehne+Nagel offers client platforms such as myKN and SeaExplorer, which provide visibility into carbon emissions during operations. These platforms also facilitate reporting to measure, avoid, and decrease the carbon footprint associated with logistics processes.
To view and compare company ESG Ratings and Sustainability Reports across sectors, follow our Company ESG Profiles page.
Source: LATAM Cargo
