K+N urges carriers to follow environmental lead

Swiss forwarding and logistics group issues rallying call to follow the green credentials set by its new ‘carbon neutral’ ocean offering.

Kuehne + Nagel has called on carriers to follow its environmental lead and introduce carbon offsetting as part of their supply chain offering to customers.

The Swiss forwarding and logistics group last month launched K+N Pledge, a new full-container shipment service, which it claims is not only the first online sea freight booking system to offer guaranteed lead times, but also the first carbon-neutral product on the market. Cargo shipped under the initiative is fully offset through carbon credits, meaning customers can take pride knowing their shipments benefit from a net zero carbon footprint, in much the same way airline customers can offset their carbon footprint when booking a flight.

However, rather than going it alone K+N wants the container shipping industry to take note and look at introducing similar products as a first step towards a zero-emission future. Speaking at the Global Liner Shipping Conference in Hamburg, K+N senior vice-president and head of global trade Paulo Montrone said the group wants to show how it is possible to offset supply and transport chains with this type of solution.

“We hope this will be a trend, and we do not want to be the first and last to do this in the industry,” he said. “It proves it can be done at least until we have zero-emission ships, whilst helping the environment.”

This is an edited extract from a longer article published in Lloyd’s List. Lloyd’s List subscribers can read the full original article via this link: K+N urges carriers to follow environmental lead

Source: Lloyd’s