Lufthansa Cargo holds its first environmental conference and presents its Cargo Climate Care Awards
(photo: Fraport)
Tue 24 Mar 2009 – Lufthansa Cargo recently held its first-ever Environmental Conference in Frankfurt during which it awarded prizes for its newly inaugurated ‘Cargo Climate Care Awards’. Prizes worth a total of 16,500 euros were presented in three categories: Customers, Employees and Young Researchers and Scientists. The initiative is part of a wide range of activities the carrier has developed in its efforts to reduce emissions, with an overall aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
TNT Express Asia won the 2009 Cargo Climate Care Award in the Customers category in recognition of its quest of becoming the first zero-emissions express and mail company, alongside its ‘Planet Me’ initiative and website.
The Employees category recognizes Lufthansa Cargo staff who have “demonstrated exemplary commitment in the sphere of environmental protection”. The award went to Muthu Balasubramanian from Bahrain for his idea of reusing packaging material to help save resources and costs.
Two prizes were awarded in the Young Researchers and Scientists category. The prize for ‘Logistics’ went to Andrea Wylegala and Guillaume Schaack, who are studying at the International University of Applied Sciences in Bad Honnef/Bonn, for their idea for simplifying ground handling processes. Central to their concept is an automatic transport system for airfreight pallets and containers. The award for ‘Aircraft Technology’ was won by Jan Binnebesel and Till Marquardt of the Hamburg-Harburg Technical University.
“The Cargo Climate Care Awards reflect our growing commitment towards environmental sustainability and climate protection,” said Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Lufthansa Cargo Executive Board. “We are already striving to continuously optimize 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. Even in difficult economic times, Lufthansa Cargo does not just pay lip service to environmental care and climate protection. This is part of the corporate culture that our employees live and breathe.”
Lufthansa Cargo’s Executive Board has issued environmental guidelines which are mandatory company-wide. In order to coordinate centrally the environmental protection measures ensuing from the guidelines, the carrier has put in place an environmental management system conforming to ISO Standard 14001. The Frankfurt base was accordingly certificated at the end of 2008.
