Kuehne+Nagel, LATAM Group and Elite Group renew their joint commitment to purchase SAF for Mother's Day
- Trilateral alliance once again strengthens decarbonisation in the industry
- Over 30,000 litres of SAF to reduce the emissions caused by flower transportation for Mother's Day peak season on the Bogota-Miami route
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 stems for this year's peak season. The amount of SAF used on these flights helped to reduce around 55 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Kuehne+Nagel has made reducing emissions in the logistics industry a central element of its strategic Roadmap 2026 and Vision 2030. Yngve Ruud, Executive Vice President Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, comments: “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 ESG agenda at a global level”.
Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Group subsidiaries, mentioned: “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 group of companies in the flower industry, “this initiative aligns perfectly with our broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives, underscoring our goal of net zero emissions while maintaining a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate. 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 industry, we remain steadfast in our mission to unite innovation with responsibility, driving progress while upholding our commitment to the planet and our global community”, adds Galo Sánchez, Executive Vice President at Elite Group.
The SAF was produced from used cooking oil, which, after being treated, is mixed with traditional jet fuel. One of the particularities of SAF, is that it helps to reduce on average, 80% of the carbon footprint when compared to conventional fuel.
In the current context of limited SAF production worldwide, these collaborative agreements are of the most significant relevance. This is the second collaboration between cargo subsidiaries of LATAM group, Elite Group, and Kuehne+Nagel in less than 12 months in reducing the carbon footprint of their joint operations as part of a long-term sustainability agenda.
Latest news
About Kuehne+Nagel
With approximately 81,000 employees at almost 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world's leading logistics providers. Headquartered in Switzerland, Kuehne+Nagel is listed in the Swiss blue-chip stock market index, the SMI. The Group is the global number one in air and sea logistics and has strong market positions in road and contract logistics.
Kuehne+Nagel is the logistics partner of choice for 400,000 customers worldwide. Using its global network, logistics expertise and data-based insights, the Group provides end-to-end supply chain solutions for global companies and industries. As a member of the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), Kuehne+Nagel is committed to sustainable logistics by reducing its own environmental footprint and by supporting its customers with low-carbon logistics solutions.
About LATAM Airlines
LATAM and its subsidiaries are the leading airline group in Latin America, with presence in five domestic markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, as well as international operations within Latin America and to Europe, Oceania, Africa, the United States and the Caribbean.
The Group has a fleet of Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A321, A321neo, A320, A320neo and A319 aircraft. LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia and LATAM Cargo Brazil are the cargo subsidiaries of the LATAM group, and in addition to having access to the group subsidiaries' passenger aircraft holds, they have a combined fleet of 20 freighter aircraft. These cargo subsidiaries have access to the group's passenger aircraft and operate within the LATAM group's network, as well as on international routes exclusively for cargo transport. In addition, they offer modern infrastructure and a wide range of services and support options to meet the needs of their customers.
More financial information at www.latamairlinesgroup.net
About Elite Group
Elite Group's history, with its beginnings in Elite Flower, dates back to 1991, when floral industry pioneer Peter Hannaford planted a few acres of roses in Colombia with the support of his wife and some relatives. Elite Group, now with more than 35 business units around the world, continues to cultivate revolutionary advances in automation, logistics and processing to ensure maximum freshness without compromising its sustainability practices. Today, a team of floral experts guides Elite Group in its full blossoming into the largest and most innovative floral group in the world.