Greener on the other side: Airfreight holds to sustainability goals through pandemic

If aviation spans the globe, the industry’s carbon footprint does as well. Aviation bears responsibility for about 12% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from transport sources and 2% of all human-induced CO2 emissions, according to the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), which includes members from major aviation companies and groups including Boeing , Airbus and Airlines for America . Before the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into plans for the 2020s, several of the world’s largest freight forwarders and airlines had committed to reducing their own emissions, with some like Deutsche Post DHL Group even targeting net-zero logistics-related emissions within the next few decades. Since those commitments were made, the airfreight and logistics industries have experienced severe upheaval related to the pandemic, leading in many cases to layoffs and other reductions in operating scope. Nevertheless, Air Cargo World has found that many companies that had previously committed to aggressive sustainability goals have held to those earlier commitments. In some cases, additional investments in sustainability are even being made as the industry adjusts its priorities and determines what the future of aviation will look like post-pandemic. Fueling the future of flight The massive quantities of jet fuel required to power the aviation industry are a significant factor in the industry’s current emissions. Before 2020, many passenger, combination and cargo airlines had announced plans to reduce their jet fuel consumption, either through the introduction of more fuel-efficient aircraft, the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) , or a combination of those and other strategies. The pace of new SAF investments has slowed somewhat since the pandemic began, but one important player — Amazon Air — has now joined the growing list of logistics providers utilizing SAF to reduce carbon emissions. In July, Amazon Air announced a deal with Shell Aviation for up to 6 million gallons of SAF over 12 months, using fuel produced by World Energy. Amazon itself is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, and while 6 million gallons of fuel is small in the overall scope of fuel use by Amazon, the deal is noteworthy for its potential impact on SAF production. Given the fuel needs of the aviation industry, current SAF production levels make the lower-carbon fuel type nonviable as a total replacement for fossil fuels, according to a 2019 working paper from the industry group International Civil Aviation Organization. As more airlines have committed to purchasing what SAF is produced, however, fuel producers are similarly committing to production of additional SAF. Dutch airline KLM , which ranked at No. 8 along with Air France and Martinair Cargo among top cargo airlines in the most recent Freight 50 ranking, was an early leader in SAF investment. In May 2019, KLM signed a deal for development and purchase of 75,000 tonnes of SAF per year in partnership with SAF producer SkyNRG and LPG distributor SHV Energy. KLM told Air Cargo World that, despite the new challenges posed by the global pandemic, “we continue to work on what we started” regarding its sustainability targets. Some of the ways KLM targets emissions reduction include fleet renewal, SAF utilization, the use of electric vehicles for ground operations, reductions of short-haul flights in favor of train connections, and using other technology for reducing emissions from taxiing and implementing more efficient flight patterns, the carrier said. “The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is unparalleled, and it is still unclear what exactly the world and society will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic,” a KLM spokesperson said. “The crisis is hitting the world during the transition to a more sustainable economy. The crisis is also undergoing radical changes in the aviation sector. Even in these difficult times, KLM will not lose sight of the challenges that climate change poses to society.” Going green is a group project KLM also stressed the importance of working with its partners and the larger aviation industry in reducing its overall carbon footprint, telling Air Cargo World , “We believe that only by working together can we achieve real change.” That same sentiment was communicated by the world’s No. 4 airfreight forwarder for 2019 tonnage, DB Schenker , which is working toward carbon reduction with its airline partners despite the pandemic. “DB Schenker has set up Memoranda of Understanding with its top carriers to promote the transition from fossil to sustainable jet fuel,” Asok Kumar, head of airfreight for the Americas region, told Air Cargo World . The 3PL also strives toward its carbon reduction goals in its own operations and opened its first fully solar-powered logistics center in Dubai during 2019. Investments are ongoing despite the difficulties 3PLs have faced in most sectors outside of airfreight for 2020. “Working toward the target to become completely carbon neutral, we are developing an exit strategy out of fossil fuels for all modes of transport,” said Kumar. “We have not ceased our efforts and remain absolutely committed toward our sustainability goals despite the challenges our industry is facing in the current COVID-19 pandemic.” The argument for increasing decarbonization investments amid a historic industry downturn may be surprising, considering it has little to no positive impact in terms of quarterly profit. A representative from the Sustainable Air Freight Alliance (SAFA), the airfreight branch of sustainability nonprofit BSR (Business for Social Responsibility), indicated that the obstacles the industry faces from COVID-19 are providing an opportunity to consider the industry’s long-term viability in a world undergoing rapid change. Delta Cargo joined SAFA in July, and BSR Sustainable Transport Collaborator Nico De Golia told Air Cargo World that Delta is not alone in increasing its level of sustainability ambition amid the pandemic. “This year, almost a dozen other airlines have marshaled to report on sustainability data through and/or join SAFA, including United Airlines, Cathay Pacific and American Airlines,” said De Golia. “This is a clear signal that airlines are working hard to think creatively and collaboratively about how they can work to design a more efficient and sustainable transportation system that takes into account both the needs of the environment alongside the need to quickly move goods around the globe. ” The carbon footprint of passenger aviation has typically attracted more attention than cargo, as with the flight-shaming movement that gained traction in Europe last year. The reduction in passenger travel due to the pandemic has led to a reversal of fortune for cargo’s place in the aviation spotlight, and is also prompting the industry to pay attention to public perception of airfreight’s role in emissions reduction. “As cargo carriage represents an increasing share of passenger airlines’ revenue streams, they now have to think more carefully about how they respond to the sustainability demands of the large, consumer-facing brands that both own the cargo and have articulated clear sustainability ambitions at the behest of their end customers,” explained De Golia. Many of the shippers behind those brands, including Nike, LVMH, Hewlett Packard and others, are also members of SAFA, and are “also reporting increased levels of ambition on sustainability in the midst of this pandemic,” he added. “We believe this to be the result of increased consumer awareness of the links between environmental and social responsibility, as well as between environmental stewardship and public health,” added De Golia. With airfreight likely to remain in the spotlight, particularly if and when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available for distribution, those links are sure to remain the public eye for some time.

Greener on the other side: Airfreight holds to sustainability goals through pandemic

Delivered: Eighth Lufthansa 777F

Seen: A321P2F in Qantas/Australia Post colors

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