Rhenus’ carbon calculator allows airfreight shippers to fly greener
15 / 04 / 2019
Rhenus Logistics Air and Ocean has launched a free-of-charge airfreight carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction programme which allows shippers to choose ‘greener’ aircraft for air cargo shipments.
The German forwarder’s worldwide RHEGREEN system calculates rankings for airlines by considering the aircraft types, fuel efficiency and the distances involved.
It is based on which aircraft is the most efficient in terms of carbon dioxide emissions on any route. The calculation system, which Rhenus said was validated by an external organisation, enables reductions of between 10% and 40% in CO2 emissions.
Said a spokesperson: “For example, by choosing the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the shipment of 1,000 kilograms from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Shanghai, customers can save one ton of CO2 in comparison to the average CO2 emissions on that particular route.”
Rhenus now offers the RHEGREEN service from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to five destinations: Chicago, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore with plans to expand to other destinations from Frankfurt, Brussels, Madrid and other origins in the coming months.
RHEGREEN was developed by Krista Zuurmond, quality manager, and Frank Swart, procurement & product development air, at Rhenus Logistics Air and Ocean in the Netherlands.
Their aim, added the spokesperson, is to create awareness for the possibility of sending airfreight with lower CO2 emissions and “thus lead to heightened awareness throughout the entire logistics chain”.
RHEGREEN is one of several projects that are part of a corporate initiative entitled Rhevo, a Rhenus in-house innovation initiative to encourage employees to “identify and further develop innovative ideas on processes and products by means of digital concepts as well as establish new ideas on services”.
Rhenus Board member Tobias Bartz said: “The demand for a sustainable supply chain continues to grow. RHEGREEN is a major step in offering our customers the choice to reduce the CO2 emissions of their air freight.
“The roll-out of this free-of-charge service will offer our customers the opportunity to partner together with Rhenus on creating a more sustainable future.”
