Kuehne + Nagel makes the first move to print carbon emissions on seafreight invoices

Jun 08, 2017: In a move to expand its sustainability drive for seafreight, Kuehne + Nagel has begun disclosing the total amount of CO₂ emissions generated by seafreight shipments on each invoice. This will assist shippers to identify their carbon footprint from transport operations.

This initiative, which began from May 2017, has helped Kuehne + Nagel customers to improve the analysis, reporting and management of CO₂ emissions caused by their transport chain and thus achieve long-term reduction of the environmental impact with this initiative. For the calculation of the shipment CO₂ data imprinted on its freight invoice, Kuehne + Nagel is using the data of its online Global Seafreight Carbon Calculator (GSCC), providing instant overviews of CO₂, SOx and NOx emissions for FCL and LCL movements from door-to-door.

The FCL port-to-port emission data is compiled by the Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG), whose shipping line members represent 87 per cent of the global container movements, based on the actual consumption of fuel by each vessel, trade-lane, nominal vessel size and distance travelled.

Otto Schacht, member of the Management Board Kuehne + Nagel International AG responsible for seafreight said, "Our goal is to raise visibility and awareness of the environmental impact within the seafreight supply chain. This will improve decision making with respect to carbon emissions. Due to our global IT operating platform we are able to deliver customised reporting and digital solutions not only in our core business, but also in areas such as sustainability. In order to meet the customer's own CO₂ reduction targets we can assist with moving the cargo, generating the lowest possible carbon footprint."

This new disclosure on invoices is an enhancing feature to the existing calculator. It is also part of Kuehne + Nagel's evolving carbon management programme dedicated to evaluate customers' carbon footprint for their whole supply chain including warehousing and distribution. The programme includes the Global Transport Carbon Calculator (GTCC) linked to Kuehne + Nagel's shipment visibility tool KNLogin and thus allowing online monitoring of CO₂ emissions caused by sea, air and road transports. The GTCC not only shows carbon dioxide emissions but also suggests possible options for reducing them.