Lufthansa Cargo and DB Schenker have saved 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the past five years and hope to save another 10,000 by 2020.

The companies say the intention has been endorsed by the Carbon Reduction Agreement and DB Schenker says 40 per cent of its direct and indirect CO2 emissions result from air cargo.

DB Schenker environment and green logistics manager, Andrea Dorothea Schön says: “As a logistics service provider, we bear a particular responsibility when it comes to planning and implementing our emissions-intensive transports.”

“Some 40 per cent of all direct and indirect CO2 emissions at DB Schenker result from air cargo. Therefore, it was and is important to us that we engage in environmental protection together with Lufthansa Cargo and achieve our climate protection goals.”

Lufthansa Cargo head of environmental management, Bettina Jansen says the airline fleet only needs 1.89 litres of fuel to transport 100 kilogrammes of freight 100 kilometres.

“We are putting in an enormous effort to continuously reduce our fleet’s fuel consumption. Our five new Boeing 777Fs are the most efficient freighters in their class.”

“In addition to this, we are using particularly lightweight containers, polishing even our engine blades for maximum efficiency and driving the digitisation of air cargo documents together with our partners. We are a forerunner in many areas and innovations will facilitate even further reductions in weight and consumption.”