Kuehne+Nagel, LATAM Group and Elite Group renew joint commitment to purchase SAF for Mother’s Day

Kuehne+Nagel, the Elite Group and a subsidiary of LATAM Group reached another joint agreement to reduce emissions associated with the air freight of flowers on the Bogota-to-Miami route for Mother’s Day.

Together, the three companies procured 34,615 liters (9,144 gallons) of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to transport more than 1.6 million flower stems for this year’s peak season.

The amount of SAF used on these flights helped to reduce around 55 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

Kuehne+Nagel has made reducing emissions in the logistics industry a central element of its strategic Roadmap 2026 and Vision 2030.

“It is crucial to drive actions in the industry that emphasize the importance of establishing a sustainability strategy,” said Yngve Ruud, the executive vice president of air logistics at Kuehne+Nagel. “Based on long-term collaboration, the impacts of the initiatives developed increase over time. The decarbonization challenges faced by logistics companies are ambitious, and the only way to achieve them is by leading the conversation and actions around the ESG agenda at a global level.”

Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Group subsidiaries, added, “This alliance deepens the LATAM Group’s commitment and efforts against climate change, with which we challenge ourselves to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Collaboration between the different actors in this industry is essential to advance at the pace necessary to achieve our goals. We hope that examples like this will help to generate more solutions that contribute to decarbonization and encourage the development of this type of fuel in South America, where there is great potential.”

For Elite Group, a well-known group of companies in the flower industry, Galo Sánchez, executive vice president, said, “This initiative aligns perfectly with our broader ESG objectives, underscoring our goal of net-zero emissions while maintaining a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate. Adopting SAF protects our environment and enhances the reputation of air transport, ensuring the longevity of numerous jobs throughout our supply chain. As a leader in our industry, we remain steadfast in our mission to unite innovation with responsibility, driving progress while upholding our commitment to the planet and our global community.”

The SAF was produced from used cooking oil, which, after being treated, is mixed with traditional jet fuel.

On average, SAF reduces carbon emissions by 80 percent compared to conventional fuel.

In the current context of limited SAF production worldwide, these collaborative agreements are of the most significant relevance, Kuehne+Nagel noted.

This is the second collaboration between cargo subsidiaries of LATAM Group, Elite Group and Kuehne+Nagel in less than 12 months in reducing the carbon footprint of their joint operations as part of a long-term sustainability agenda.