KWE, IAG Cargo agree to expand use of sustainable aviation fuel

Kintetsu World Express Inc. announced in June that it has signed an agreement with IAG Cargo, the cargo arm of International Airlines Group, to expand the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Under the deal, the company will purchase 640,000 liters (169,070 gallons) of SAF environmental attributes, reducing scope 3 emissions in its supply chain.

The SAF is certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System and is produced from used cooking oil and food waste, reducing lifecycle emissions by over 90 percent compared to conventional jet fuel.

“When we see the natural disasters that have occurred around the world in recent times, we can’t help but feel that we are finally approaching a global climate tipping point,” said Nobutoshi Torii, president and CEO of KWE.

“As a company in the transport sector, which accounts for around 20 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, we must further accelerate more substantial industrywide efforts to decarbonize,” Torii added.

“SAF is the most effective way to reduce emissions (scope 3) from our core business of air-freight transport,” Torii said. “We are proud and delighted to be working with our longstanding business partner IAG Cargo to decarbonize the industry.”

Saleem Saeed, the sustainability manager at IAG Cargo, added, “This marks our first SAF partnership in Asia, and we are delighted to support KWE to address scope 3 emissions for their supply chain. We are committed to minimizing our environmental impact and contributing to the wider sustainability goals of the air-cargo industry. This is a great example of how we can help our customers in their decarbonization efforts.”

KWE said it will continue to actively exploit these opportunities and make a tangible contribution to decarbonization.