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Lufthansa Cargo and Nippon Express Europe conclude SAF agreement

Press release -

Lufthansa Cargo and Nippon Express Europe conclude SAF agreement

  • Global Japanese logistics company to use SAF for airfreight transports with Lufthansa Cargo in the future
  • Clear commitment by both cargo companies to jointly reduce CO₂ footprint

Lufthansa Cargo and the global Japanese logistics company Nippon Express Europe GmbH (hereinafter, “Nippon Express Europe”) today contractually agreed to advocate the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) when transporting airfreight shipments. The environmentally friendly aviation fuel will enable the Nippon Express Group to achieve emissions savings of approximately 3,150 tons within one year. Furthermore, the agreement reached with Lufthansa Cargo includes contributing to high-quality and certified climate protection projects for the so-called well-to-tank emissions that arise during the production and supply of SAF.

The Nippon Express Group has set the goal of a 50 per cent reduction in SCOPE 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2013 as a response to climate change, and of contributing to the realization of a carbon-neutral society by 2050. Nippon Express Co., Ltd. aims to reduce emissions by 350,000 tons by 2023, equivalent to a 30 per cent reduction from 2013 levels. In May 2023, NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, Inc. submitted a Letter of Commitment to be certified as a Science Based Targets (SBT) company, and the entire group is working together to achieve a carbon neutral society by 2050.

"We have enjoyed a trusting long-standing relationship with Nippon Express Europe as a Global Partner. We appreciate working jointly with Nippon Express Europe also on sustainability goals that are important to both of us. Every player in the logistics industry has a model here, and only together can we succeed in making our business more environmentally friendly along the entire supply chain. The more Sustainable Aviation Fuel is used in the transportation of goods by air freight, the more likely we are to succeed in moving away from fossil fuels, making the entire air freight industry more sustainable," highlights Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo.

"We at the Nippon Express Group remain mindful of the environmental effect of the increasing demand for air freight. We fully acknowledge this reality, and we must move quickly to take action to slow global warming. This agreement to advocate using SAF represents a step in the right direction on the way to a greener future. Together with Lufthansa Cargo, we are honored to embark on this journey to meet our sustainability goals and fulfil our ongoing commitment to combat climate change," emphasizes Shinichi Kakiyama, Managing Director of Nippon Express Europe.

Lufthansa Cargo is committed to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and is actively advancing five selected sustainability goals, including ‘Climate Action’. The cargo airline also supports the Lufthansa Group's ambitious CO₂ reduction targets: the aviation group aims to halve net CO₂ emissions by as early as 2030 compared to 2019. To this end, the Lufthansa Group is pursuing a clearly defined reduction path that has been validated by the so-called ‘Science Based Target Initiative’ (SBTi). This makes the Lufthansa Group the first airline group in Europe with a scientifically based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015.

With its Boeing 777F long-haul fleet, Lufthansa Cargo operates the most modern and efficient freighters. In order to reduce the fleet's carbon footprint even further, the freighters have been successively equipped with AeroSHARK since the beginning of the year: an innovative foil modeled on shark skin reduces the aircraft's frictional resistance in the air. This saves around 3,700 tons of kerosene and almost 11,700 tons of CO₂ emissions per year. Furthermore, Lufthansa Cargo exclusively uses lightweight containers as well as lightweight nets and foils made of recycled material in handling. In recent years, the airline has also established a global, company-wide environmental management system that is certified according to the ISO standard and helps to implement sustainable measures in a targeted manner.

Lufthansa Cargo customers can use an emissions calculator integrated into the online booking tool eBooking to determine and offset the CO₂ emissions for the transport of their goods during the booking process. The add-on service ‘Sustainable Choice’ is available on all routes with a freighter segment, for all product groups and all customers worldwide.

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Lufthansa Cargo AG

With revenue of 4.6 billion euros and a transport performance of 7.2 billion freight ton kilometers in 2022, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world's leading companies in the transport of airfreight. The company currently employs around 4,100 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo's focus is on the airport-to-airport business. The route network covers around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries, using both freighter aircraft and cargo capacity from passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress, as well as trucks. The majority of the cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is pursuing the goal of becoming the world's most environmentally friendly cargo airline. To achieve this, the company relies on state-of-the-art technologies and constant investments in the area of sustainability. In 2022, important milestones were reached, such as the investment in the continuous expansion of the B777F fleet, the expansion of short- and medium-haul networks with A321 freighters, and the continuation of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel program. In 2023, Lufthansa Cargo plans to successively equip its B777F fleet with Sharkskin technology, implement further digital services and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions through sustainable logistics solutions. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the specialist for the logistics business of the Lufthansa Group.


Nippon Express Group

Since its inception in 1937, the NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP has expanded its business from Japan to the world, contributing to the development of society by connecting people, companies, and regions through logistics. The NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP has established our presence globally with bases in 49 countries and regions, 316 cities, and 743 locations (as of the end of March 2023). Furthermore, in January 2022, the NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP transitioned to a holding company structure and concurrently introduced a new group brand, "NX".

Nippon Express website: www.nipponexpress.com
Nippon Express Group's official LinkedIn account: www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group

Media contact Nippon Express

Nippon Express Europe GmbH
Am Wehrhahn 33
40211 Dusseldorf / Germany
NEEU-Info@nipponexpress.com

Contacts

Nicole Mies

Nicole Mies

Press contact Head of Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility
Lufthansa Cargo Media Hotline

Lufthansa Cargo Media Hotline

Press contact +49 69 696 72435
Katharina Stegmann

Katharina Stegmann

Press contact Spokesperson +49 69 696-72508
Julia Leukel

Julia Leukel

Press contact Spokesperson +49 69 696-660138
Jan Paulin

Jan Paulin

Press contact Spokesperson +49 69 696 10274