SEKO Bansard renews agreement with AFKLMP to participate in Cargo SAF program

Logistics company SEKO Bansard announced June 23 that it has just renewed its agreement with longstanding partner Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) to participate in the Cargo SAF program, significantly reducing its carbon footprint in the airfreight sector.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and is a cleaner substitute for conventional aviation fuel.

This alternative fuel represents a solution that has been developed to reduce the environmental impact of aviation.

“Already an agent of change, SEKO Bansard, a SEKO Logistics company, wishes to continue to innovate and ensure a cleaner future for air transport,” the company stated.

This commitment, according to SEKO Bansard, has several interests:

Supporting AFKLMP and its CO2-emission reduction program

Improving the impact of the supply chain of all SEKO’s customers who use its air-transport solutions

Preparing for decarbonization by participating in the net-zero transition and by helping to reduce the overall CO2 emissions of airfreight transport before the decarbonization target set by the European Union for 2035

The aviation sector currently accounts for 2 percent to 3 percent of global manmade CO2 emissions.

SAF represents an alternative fuel for aviation and is currently the only viable option to liquid fossil fuels for powering commercial aircraft.

SAF reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 80 percent compared to conventional fuel and requires no engine modifications.

This reduction occurs throughout the lifecycle of the production and use of SAF compared to fossil fuel.

According to SEKO Bansard, the action of renewing its commitment to the AFKLMP Cargo SAF program completes the various initiatives in favor of more responsible logistics:

Development of a carbon-footprint calculator

Reduction of energy consumption at logistics sites

ISO 14001 certification

6PL label

Investment in new P400 trailers

"We are very proud to renew our commitment to the Air France KLM Martinair Cargo SAF program,” said Simon Pinto, president of SEKO in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “As Franco-European airlines, it is important to work together to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector. This action is part of a global and voluntary approach to sustainable development within SEKO Bansard. It is essential to engage and empower the transport and logistics industry to evolve and innovate towards more environmentally friendly solutions. We believe that making commitments like these are the responsibility of all freight forwarders, ensuring that alternative fuels and innovative technologies have the necessary support to drive scalable change in our industry.”

Loïc Benattar, vice president of airfreight, added, “As the main suppliers of air cargo from Asia to Europe, it is vital for Air France KLM Martinair Cargo and SEKO Bansard to commit to a cleaner, more sustainable and more responsible approach with concrete actions on this trade. This program is the logical continuation of our mutual commitments with our trusted partner and attests to SEKO Bansard’s concrete efforts to move towards even more responsible logistics.”

In October 2021, SEKO Logistics acquired Paris-based transportation and logistics group Bansard International.

The acquisition brought 700 Bansard employees spanning 54 offices across 17 countries into the SEKO Logistics family.

This spring, Bansard’s legacy operations transitioned to the SEKO Bansard name.

“The last 12 months have been significant in SEKO’s sustainability journey, as we established the company’s global ESG goals and revised the company’s mission and vision to better align with our aspirations in this space,” said Kai Lincoln, global vice president of sustainability at SEKO. “The inaugural ESG report continues that momentum and builds on the work already underway by our global teams, such as this longstanding partnership between SEKO Bansard and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo. Our overarching sustainability mission is to conduct business as responsible stewards of the people, the planet and communities in which we operate. This renewal reflects that commitment and is a strong example of the type of activities we aim to pursue moving forward at SEKO.”