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Back Environment - First in logistics: The path to a zero carbon future

As a first mover in the industry, we have set two important goals for a zero carbon future: Compensating direct and unavoidable CO2 emissions as of 2020 and addressing the CO2 footprint of our suppliers’ transportation services.

Together with our partners we invest in sustainable solutions to address climate change. We are guided by our commitments to the science-based targets to decarbonize the logistics sector. Our goal is to create a healthier future for all.

Stefan Paul, Chief Executive Officer Kuehne+Nagel International AG

Stefan Paul

Caring about the future of our planet is a crucial topic that we need to address today, in order to ensure a livable future for tomorrow.

Ocean acidification and global warming are dramatically impacting our natural ecosystems and threatening life on our planet; We need and want to change that reality. We know that the logistics industry contributes to roughly 8% of the emission of CO2 worldwide.

As industry leaders, we are committed to reduce our contribution to that percentage by actively reducing our own CO2 emissions in transport and developing solutions to support our customers with their carbon reduction journey.

Our key objectives to reduce CO2 emissions in transport:

  • Maintain effective carbon management throughout all operations

  • Provide environmentally friendly solutions and offerings to our customers

  • Procure logistic services based on environmental criteria

Our sustainability goals:

We are addressing CO2 reduction in all of our transport and logistics services worldwide. We have two main targets to reach our goal:

  1. Be fully carbon neutral in our direct sphere of influence as of 2020 (Scopes 1 and 2 of GHG Protocol)

  2. Reduce CO2 emissions by 33% for our, our suppliers’ and customers’ footprint by end 2030 (Scope 3 of GHG Protocol)

Our journey to a zero carbon future also comes with a commitment to our customers by offering solutions that reduce CO2 emissions in their supply chains. We do this by using big data and predictive analytics, as well as digital platforms to support the selection of more sustainable transport routes and modes.

In support of CO2 emission reduction in transport we are member of initiatives by:Kuehne+Nagel is fully supporting initiatives of CO2 emission reduction in transport

The transport industry and its partners and customers have to recognise the importance of decarbonisation to help reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, and Kuehne+Nagel is fully supporting it. The Paris Agreement’s goal is holding the rise in global average temperatures this century to well below two degrees Celsius (ideally 1.5°C) above pre-industrial levels.

Partnering for a sustainable future

Together with the yacht racing team Malizia, we are working towards a sustainable future by contributing to ocean health of reducing worldwide CO2 emissions. As Team Malizia measures CO2 in the ocean while they race, the sailing yacht has been christened "seaexplorer"—just like our platform for sea freight services, which shows the CO2 emissions of the various service loops.

Learn more about our partnership.

How will we reach our sustainability goals?

Our path to a zero carbon future includes visibility, avoidance, CO2 reduction and offsetting.

VISIBILITY: Making greener choices requires more awareness of our CO2 footprint along each step of the supply chain. Our digital platforms enable our customers to optimise routings and select services with lowest CO2 emissions to reduce environmental impact. Check our Carbon Calculator or our seaexplorer for more information. In addition, our customers receive full transparency on the estimated CO2 emissions of their shipments in the offers.

AVOIDANCE & REDUCTION: Our commitment to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions starts with leveraging data analysis and implementing training programmes to maintain and expand the environmental awareness among our teams. It continues with modal switch solutions, the implementation of more efficient transport routes and the use of biofuels as well as renewable energy.

CARBON OFFSETTING: We lessen our carbon footprint, which cannot be reduced to zero beforehand, by investing in certified nature-based offset projects that work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (also known as SDG goals). Carbon offsetting is a recognised mechanism that allows counterbalancing CO2 emissions of a shipment that cannot be avoided. This mechanism is also available to our customers.

Join us. These customers are already proud to neutralise their transports with us.

Learn more about offsetting and the nature-based projects that we invest in.