Sustainability at Lufthansa Cargo
Update 2022
Every action counts
We are active all over the world – and at home. That’s why global responsibility and sustainable, forward-looking practices are part of our DNA.
We are committed to the United Nations’ climate targets and to creating a sustainable infrastructure on the ground and in the air. We want to make a difference, ensure our business is climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable, and advance our society.
For a better tomorrow for all of us.
Lufthansa CargoWe make a difference.
Our goal for 2050:
100% CO2-neutrality
and by 2030 on the ground!
Our goal for 2030:
50% less CO2
than in 2019
AeroSHARK technology
and lightweight loading equipment:
5,493 t
of kerosene saved per year
Fleet modernization
in the past 25 years:
52% reduction
per TKT in CO2 emissions
Cargo Human Care:
6 institutions
for humanitarian aid in Kenya
Systematic climate targets
Lufthansa Cargo goes CO2-neutral. Our goal across the entire Lufthansa Group: #MakeChangeFly. Together, we have set ambitious CO2 reduction targets: By 2030 at the latest, we aim to halve our carbon footprint compared with 2019. Our goal for 2050: full CO2-neutrality.
- We are working on becoming the world’s most efficient cargo airline.
- We want to make our company’s entire commitment to sustainability measurable using science-based targets (SBTs).
- Our corporate carbon footprint is measured by independent experts.
Specific climate action
by Lufthansa Cargo
Sustainable operations in the air and on the ground: As we are an airline, nearly 99% of our carbon footprint is caused by flying. That means our greatest CO2-saving potential lies in the air. Although our activities on the ground account for only about 1% of our CO2 emissions, we are working hard to achieve CO2-neutrality in all our ground processes by 2030. In addition, we are constantly looking for new ways to avoid waste and plastic.
1. Fleet modernization
We continuously invest in modernizing our fleet and operate the newest and most fuel-efficient cargo aircraft on the market. Since October 2021, we have switched completely to the Boeing 777F – today’s most modern freighter with the best environmental performance. We have already placed orders for its even more efficient successor, the B777-8F, which we will start flying in 2027. The current average age of our fleet is only 5.2 years.
2. Fuel efficiency
AeroSHARK technology
A special coating reduces the frictional resistance of an aircraft by more than 1%. From 2022, this technology will be rolled out across our fleet of eleven B777F freighters, saving around 3,700 tonnes of kerosene or about 13,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Less weight on board
Since 2020, Lufthansa Cargo has exclusively used lightweight containers on its flights. This has led to a weight reduction of 14 kg per container and fuel savings totaling 2,160 tonnes per year.
Lightweight containers
- more than 14 kg less weight per container
- CO2 emissions reduced by 6,800 t per year
- standard containers have been replaced and additional loading equipment is being developed
squAIR-timber
- made from 100% recycled paper and 80% lighter than wood
- 60 kg saving on pallet stacks cuts CO2 emissions by around 240 t per year (Group-wide: 450 t).
eFreight
- 100% eAWBs in 2022
- Lufthansa Cargo saves the industry around 50 t of paper
- 20 t less CO2 emitted due to reduced weight on board
Flight optimization
In cooperation with Germany’s air traffic control service (Deutsche Flugsicherung), we use optimized flight procedures based on the efficient flight profile (EFP) concept. In addition, pilots and air traffic controllers are in constant contact in order to save fuel.
- EFP improves continuous descent rates and optimizes descent times and flight paths
- The EMAS project serves to optimize approach sequences and target landing times with the aim of enabling quieter and more efficient approaches to Frankfurt Airport at peak times
- According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), creating a single European airspace could reduce CO2 emissions by 5–10%
- Up-to-date weather information makes it easier to manage fuel and to plan optimum flight procedures, variable speeds, and altitudes
- Various restrictions such as air traffic regulations mean that it is not always possible to plan the shortest routes. Pilots ask air traffic controllers whether any shortcuts are currently available in the course of flights
- State-of-the-art data analysis tools such as OMEGA allow the fuel requirement per flight and the fuel reserve to be tailored to the actual circumstances
- Digitalization has reached the cockpit as well: The 25-kg case containing manuals and navigational charts has been replaced by the Electronic Flight Bag, leading to a weight reduction
3. Sustainable aviation fuels
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are already making CO2-neutral flying a reality. Compared with fossil fuels, SAF reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%, while the remaining emissions are offset by certified environmental projects.
Power-to-liquid: SAF of the future
Biofuel: today’s SAF
Lufthansa Cargo is one of the pioneers in the use of SAF:
- More than 1% of fuel used by cargo aircraft in 2021 was SAF
- We currently operate the world’s only regular full charter freight connection that is 100% SAF-powered
- Together with our partner DB Schenker, we save around 174 tonnes of conventional kerosene per week
4. Offsetting
Our target is a 50% reduction in CO2 by 2030. Bottlenecks in technology that is still in the development stage, a limited supply of sustainable fuels as well a slow changes in environmental policy mean that this is only possible through offsetting – which is why we use offsetting projects to avoid or remove CO2 in other sectors. This works because the climate benefits wherever greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
Giving our customers a sustainable choice
We already offer our customers 100% CO2-neutral flights for their air freight thanks to sustainable aviation fuel and offsetting through environmental projects.
They can choose from three CO2-neutral options:
Add-on service
CO2-neutral flights
High-volume booking
Our CO2 calculator
A CO2 calculator is available in our booking system, the calculations of which are based on the average annual kerosene consumption. This results from the actual load factors and flight routes of the respective previous year. The transports on the freighter B777-F and the transports on the passenger aircraft are shown separately. The latter are clustered according to short-, medium- and long-haul flights.Getting there together
Our goal is to transport goods around the world with zero CO2 emissions. But we can only achieve this by working with our partners and customers, as well as with producers and consumers. Come and join us on this exciting journey. Together, we can change the world.
5. Ground processes
100%
worldwide certified in accordance with ISO 14001
100%
green power in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as the basis for 100% CO2-neutral mobility by 2030
100%
sustainable procurement criteria
We are working towards 100% sustainability
100%
eAWBs instead of paper in the logistics chain
99%
of all waste at our hubs is already recycled or used for power generation
100%
dedication to upcycling products
Strategy for plastic reduction
Our resource and waste management systems work hand in hand to ensure a closed loop. By 2025, we will implement many more sustainable solutions for plastic film in our handling operations – including life cycle extension through reuse, reduction of new plastic, and worldwide recycling solutions.
Reduce and reuse
- 15-μm thin, ultra-light film
- Multiple use of film whenever possible
Recycling
- Recycling of used materials at our hubs
Bioplastic film
- Use of biodegradable film
- Locally sourced
- Interim solutions to reduce risk
Partly recyclate-based film
- Closed loop
- Used film is returned to the manufacturer
The 2030 Agenda
Lufthansa Cargo has aligned all its corporate social responsibility practices with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have undertaken to anchor five selected SDGs in our corporate strategy and to make a visible contribution to them by 2030.
Climate action: We are taking action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Our freighter fleet consists of fuel-efficient B777F freighters
- What’s more, we have already placed orders for this model’s even more efficient successor, the B777-8F, which we will start flying in 2027
- We save a lot of fuel – through 100 % lightweight containers and AeroShark technology
- We are pioneering the eFreight initiative for paperless shipment
- In the future, we will exclusively use electric vehicles at our Frankfurt hub
- All parts of our environmental management system are certified in accordance with ISO 14001
- Upcycling of loading equipment enables used materials to be repurposed
- We use 100% green power at our headquarters and at our facilities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
- Our road feeder services comply with the highest environmental standards
- Energy and fuel-efficiency management systems ensure that we conserve energy resources
Good health and wellbeing: We ensure that sensitive medical products are delivered around the world – especially in times of crisis. We also provide assistance in crisis situations.
- We guarantee reliable medical care by transporting organs, insulin, and vaccines (such as the Ebola and coronavirus vaccines), or protective masks (to combat the spread of coronavirus, for example)
- In February 2013, Lufthansa Cargo began working closely with the German aid agency alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft to enable the rapid supply of aid around the world in the event of major disasters
- Lufthansa Cargo and the German Red Cross entered into a cooperation agreement in December 2016
- We transport doctors and medicines to the CHC Medical Center in Kenya
- We maintain a constant dialog with pharmaceuticals manufacturers with the aim of continuously improving transportation options
- We invest in state-of-the-art pharma hubs in cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, and Chicago
No poverty: We help fight poverty by providing access to the global market and thus contributing to economic development, including in developing countries. Cargo Human Care provides additional support.
- We create jobs and secure livelihoods – for example by transporting textiles from Kenya, fruit from Egypt, and replica automobiles from South America
- We organize global donation appeals and initiatives, of which all proceeds go to aid projects
- Lufthansa Cargo joined forces with German doctors to establish the non-profit organization Cargo Human Care e. V. in 2007
- Cargo Human Care gives a home to orphans in Kenya and ensures that they are fed and educated
- We cover the cost of flying around 50 doctors a year to Nairobi so that they can help provide medical care
- We fly donated goods worth several thousand euros to Kenya each year
- We support Cargo Human Care with public relations work and fundraising activities. This includes doubling the entry fees for the CHC Run
Decent work and economic growth: We play our part in promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and decent work.
- Our sustainable growth and enduring reliability are a stabilizing factor in the volatile market in which we operate
- We fly no matter what and provide stability – even in uncertain times
- We invest continuously and sustainably in all aspects of our core business: in our fleet and infrastructure as well as in digitalization
- We develop new ideas and invest in start-ups
Industries, innovation, and infrastructure: We champion sustainable industrialization, support innovation, and are involved in building a crisis-proof infrastructure.
- We drive forward the digitalization of the entire industry with powerful ideas and ensure more efficient processes and lower defect rates thanks to API, eDGD, RapidRateResponse, eBooking, eFreight, PreCheck, and eTracking
- We make our knowledge available to facilitate worldwide participation in transport processes and therefore set high global standards
- We invest in digital and physical infrastructure, and our state-of-the-art handling centers and aircraft are already making the delivery and supply chains of tomorrow a reality
Status July 2022