Lufthansa Cargo sets up environmental awards for industry

GERMANY's Lufthansa Cargo has hosted for the first time its Cargo Climate Care Awards in Frankfurt to acknowledge notable endeavours in this area within the industry.

Prizes were awarded at the company's first Environmental Conference for outstanding endeavour and commitment to customers and staff as well as students and up-and-coming scientists.

The Cargo Climate Care Awards reflect our growing commitment towards environmental sustainability and climate protection. We are already striving to continuously optimise processes and reduce fuel consumption in our day-to-day operations.

With the Cargo Climate Care Awards, we hope to drive our industry forward in the field of climate protection and provide new impetus and fresh ideas with regard to lowering emissions, said Lufthansa Cargo chairman Carsten Spohr.

The prizes, which are worth a total of EUR16,500 (US$20,786), were awarded in three categories. TNT Express Asia won the 2009 Cargo Climate Care Award in the Customers category, after setting a target of becoming the first zero-emission express courier company.

With its Planet Me initiative and the corresponding website, TNT has developed a comprehensive approach to reducing its CO2 emissions, the Lufthansa Cargo statement said.

The second category of Employees recognises Lufthansa Cargo staff who have demonstrated exemplary commitment in the sphere of environmental protection. Muthu Balasubramanian from Bahrain received an award for his idea of reusing packaging material in order to help save resources and save costs.

Said TNT's regional managing director Ono Boots: TNT strives to improve the social and environmental impact we have on communities around the world.

Innovating to improve the environmental balance of airfreight traffic is therefore very much in our interest, he said at Lufthansa Cargo's Cargo Climate Care Award recent gala presentation ceremony in Frankfurt, Germany.

The award recognises TNT for its climate-friendly practices, which include the optimisation of its operational processes to drastically reduce CO2 emissions and the introduction of climate-friendly activities within the company to encourage all 161,500 employees worldwide to do the same in their private lives.

As part of TNT's first zero-emissions test outside of Europe, the company began a trial of two battery, electric delivery vans in the city of Wuhan, China, in partnership with China's largest automaker and manufacturer of electric vehicles.

Source: Schednet