Kuehne+Nagel becomes 1st air-logistics provider to offer customers SAF option for all shipments

Kuehne+Nagel has become the first air-logistics provider to offer its customers the option to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for each shipment and, as a result, avoid carbon emissions instantly, according to the company. This new add-on is available on all Kuehne+Nagel air freight quoting platforms and channels, allowing customers to choose carbon-neutral transport via their preferred online- or offline-quoting method.

With the newly launched offering, all Kuehne+Nagel customers can easily opt for SAF to be used instead of fossil fuel for air transport and benefit from net zero carbon emissions air freight services—regardless of airlines used, origin, or destination. As SAF still produces some CO2 emissions, carbon neutrality is achieved by substituting each liter of jet-fuel kerosene used with 1.33 liters of SAF.

Once the customer requests a quote, the price add-on is instantly calculated alongside all other transport charges and presented as a selectable option. The novelty of the offering also lies in the more intuitive SAF-pricing structure. Until now, SAF pricing was quoted on a per-liter or CO2 ton avoided basis, whereas now it is linked to the actual weight of a shipment. With this new SAF option, Kuehne+Nagel calculates the SAF usage and provides a quote in the well-known and customer-friendly “per kg” air freight pricing basis. After the booking confirmation, the equivalent volume of SAF is credited from 12.8 million liters of SAF available to Kuehne+Nagel while the customer receives an authorized certificate confirming the emissions saving for purposes of scope 3 reporting.

“As part of the Net Zero Carbon program and migration to a low carbon business model, we keep developing easy and transparent sustainable shipping options so that our customers always have a choice of how they want to minimize the environmental impact of their shipments,” said Yngve Ruud with Kuehne+Nagel’s management board. “With the new SAF add-on now available on all quotes, our customers can quickly shift from intent to climate action.”

SAF is currently the most effective measure to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of shipping. While the carbon lifecycle of fossil fuels is linear and results in the release of additional CO2 emissions, the carbon lifecycle of SAF is circular and allows for the reuse of waste or biomass and emissions. SAF significantly reduces the amount of additional carbon introduced into the global carbon cycle by at least 75 percent.