Kuehne+Nagel Joins Hands with 14 Global Airlines for Sustainability Initiative

From News Desk

Photo courtesy – Hussan Amir/Unsplash

Kuehne+Nagel, a company in logistics, is taking a significant step toward a more sustainable future with the launch of its Carrier Engagement Sustainability Programme. As part of this initiative, Kuehne+Nagel has entered into individual Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) agreements with 14 global airlines to drive forward sustainability initiatives and innovations in the air logistics industry. This partnership aims to significantly reduce the environmental impact of airfreight and contribute to the overall sustainability of the air transport sector.

The airlines Kuehne+Nagel has collaborated with include major global carriers such as American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France Cargo, KLM Cargo, Atlas Air, Azul, Cargolux, Cathay Cargo, Delta Air Lines, LATAM Airlines Group SA, Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines. These agreements span 4 continents, significantly expanding Kuehne+Nagel’s global reach in sustainability efforts.

The partnership will focus on several key initiatives –

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Decarbonisation – Kuehne+Nagel aims to source and promote the use of SAF, which can cut CO2 emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel. This will play a central role in reducing the carbon footprint of airfreight.
Transparency and Impact Tracking – Kuehne+Nagel and its airline partners will share data to better understand and track emissions, ensuring continuous progress toward sustainability goals.
Holistic Sustainability Approach – Beyond reducing emissions, the initiative will tackle broader sustainability challenges in the air logistics sector.

Fabiano Piccinno, Global Head of Sustainability at Kuehne+Nagel’s Air Logistics division, emphasised the importance of collaboration stating, “As an asset-light company, it is essential for us to work closely with our carrier partners to achieve our ambitious sustainability goals. This milestone represents a collective effort to create a more sustainable future for the air logistics industry, benefiting both our customers and the environment.” These MoUs currently represent about 50% of Kuehne+Nagel’s airfreight emissions (based on 2024 data), with plans to expand the programme further to cover more carriers and their emissions in the future.