Kuehne+Nagel, LATAM, Elite Group renew SAF commitment

Kuehne+Nagel, the Elite Group, and a subsidiary of LATAM Group reached another joint agreement to reduce emissions associated with the air freight of flowers for Mother's Day.

"Together, the three companies procured 34,615 litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to transport more than 1.6 million flower stalks for this year's peak season. The amount of SAF used on these flights helped to reduce around 55 tonnes of CO2 emissions," says a release from Kuehne+Nagel.

Yngve Ruud, Executive Vice President, Air Logistics,Kuehne+Nagel says: “It is crucial to drive actions in the industry that emphasise the importance of establishing a sustainability strategy. Based on long-term collaboration, the impacts of the initiatives developed increase over time. The decarbonisation challenges faced by logistics companies are ambitious, and the only way to achieve them is by leading the conversation and actions around the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda at a global level."

Andrés Bianchi, CEO, LATAM Cargo adds: “This alliance deepens the LATAM group's commitment and efforts against climate change with which we challenge ourselves to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Collaboration between the different actors in this industry is essential to advance at the pace necessary to achieve our goals. We hope that examples like this will help to generate more solutions that contribute to decarbonisation and encourage the development of this type of fuel in South America where there is great potential.”

For Elite Group, a well-known company in the floral world, “this initiative aligns perfectly with our broader ESG objectives, underscoring our goal of net zero emissions while maintaining a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate," says Galo Sánchez, Executive Vice President, Elite Group. "Adopting SAF protects our environment and enhances the reputation of air transport, ensuring the longevity of numerous jobs throughout our supply chain. As a leader in our field, we remain steadfast in our mission to unite innovation with responsibility, driving progress while upholding our commitment to the planet and our global community."

The SAF was produced from used cooking oil, which, after being treated, is mixed with traditional jet fuel. One of the properties of SAF is that it helps to reduce, on average, 80 percent carbon footprint when compared to conventional fuel. This is the second collaboration between the cargo subsidiaries of LATAM group, Elite Group and Kuehne+Nagel in less than 12 months in reducing the carbon footprint of their joint operations, the release added.