As the aviation industry ramps up its efforts towards sustainability, pioneering initiatives are being explored to reduce emissions and enhance environmental stewardship. With the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2050 Net Zero Framework urging stakeholders to significantly reduce emissions, cross-industry collaboration is essential to achieving these ambitious targets.
Sustainability as a core strategy
Sustainability cannot be just a marketing ploy, it must be a guiding principle. By reducing the environmental footprint of certain products, companies can support customer growth while promoting positive change in their operations.
“Caring for people has always been at the heart of our business,” said Marieke Klaskoen, marketing and communications consultant at VRR. “For us, it’s not just about taking care of the people close to us. We want to do the right thing on a global level.”
This approach stems from a holistic view that sustainability should be seamlessly integrated into business practices rather than separate from one another: “We aim to facilitate growth while limiting harm, ensuring sustainability remains the way we do business.”
Lead by example
Taking bold steps to shift operations toward sustainability isn’t just about building a strong product portfolio, it starts at the company’s home base by replacing gas heating systems, installing solar panels, and sourcing green energy during the months when sunlight is low.
“If we are talking about environmental sustainability, it all starts with reducing carbon dioxide emissions to zero,” Van Riemsdyk explained. “We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our energy consumption, plastic consumption and waste. As of this year, we are able to measure our energy consumption on an ongoing basis, which will give us an insight into what we need to work on.
Driving industry standards
There are four key pillars that are essential to creating safe, practical and environmentally conscious solutions for the air freight industry: Develop safe and innovative air freight solutions that reduce CO2 emissions throughout their life cycle. Caring for people by providing a safe and stimulating workplace, making employees feel valued, and giving back to the community. Reach net zero emissions in Scope 1 and 2 by 2030 and reduce all indirect emissions across the value chain in the long term. Holding the sector to a strict set of ethical standards, promoting a culture of integrity, and communicating sustainability efforts openly and transparently.
Beyond internal processes, it is important for all supply chain stakeholders to explore how they can work to shape sustainability standards for the entire industry.
“We started a project group last year with ULD CARE to implement an industry-wide climate impact label for ULDs,” Klaskoen continued.
“We discovered that no one knew exactly what a ‘sustainable’ ULD model would include. So, we did our research, brought together a group of the largest OEMs and several key industry stakeholders and defined a ‘sustainable’ ULD together. This led to the launch of the Impact Label Climate ULD A label that shows you exactly how sustainable ULD is compared to others making a good, sustainable choice possible.
Immediate effect
While transformative technologies such as sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen-powered aircraft are still years away from being widely adopted, it is equally important to focus on actions that can be taken now.
“The SAF and new types of aircraft will help the industry significantly reduce emissions. And to be honest, they will do so in a far greater way than ULDs will ever be able to do.”
“However, although these technologies exist, they are not yet widespread. We are not waiting for them to arrive. We will do everything we can to push the industry to net zero goals now.”
“On the one hand, we are constantly working to reduce the weight of our products while maintaining their safety and, of course, functionality. But most importantly, we have created a project portfolio in the last year with ULD CARE.
