Sustainability continues to underscore operations and initiatives in logistics. Last year, the industry saw even more attention on reducing carbon emissions, specifically for airfreight transportation–from commercial airliners to leading logistics companies. As seen with the maritime industry with IMO 2020, reducing the overall carbon footprint is the primary goal, but the logistics industry is taking a piecemeal approach to cover all bases. Notable companies linking arms to fight the issue of carbon emissions in the airfreight logistics sector include DHL, Yusen Logistics, Bollore Logistics and, of course, CEVA Logistics. In April 2021, CEVA Logistics announced its position on the issue through the joining of United Airlines’ Eco-Skies Alliance as an official partner (along with the other aforementioned companies). 

Known for being the world’s leading supply chain management organization headquartered in Marseille, France, CEVA is no stranger to stepping up in the name of sustainability. As part of parent company CMA CGM Group’s mission, CEVA is committed to acting for people, the planet and responsible trade–and that’s exactly what the logistics company is accomplishing through initiatives such as switching to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for example. Not only does this move support the Group’s mission, but it also supports collaboration along the supply chain. 

“One long-term benefit and advantage of SAF is that it is a concrete opportunity for shippers, freight forwarders and carriers to work together to improve the air freight industry,” explains Peter Penseel, chief operating officer of Air Freight at CEVA Logistics. “This type of collaboration can extend beyond SAF and environmental topics to ones like safety. As an example, we were recently the first company to receive IATA’s new CEIV Lithium Certification for the safe air transport of lithium batteries, so we’re encouraging other industry participants, whether freight forwarders, ground handlers, or carriers, to support this important safety topic as well.”

The leaders behind the CEVA mission capitalize on what can be done now to reduce problems for the future. This proactive approach differentiates the business from competitors while creating a competitive advantage for customers. This serves as a primary driver behind the CMA CGM Group’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

“The Group aims at becoming carbon-neutral by 2050 and is significantly investing in research and development to help the emergence of future energy sources and technologies to reduce the impact of transport and logistics on the planet,” Penseel adds. “Encouraging the use of SAF in air transport is a direct outflow of this corporate commitment. Whether or not SAF is the long-term answer in air freight logistics, CEVA is taking tangible action today, with an eye on the solutions of tomorrow.”

What some logistics organizations might misunderstand that CEVA does not is the critical blending of customer needs and environmental needs. And in the modern world, it seems all players in the logistics arena are feeling the pressure to support sustainability more now than ever.

“Reducing emissions in the supply chain requires alignment with customers,” said Penseel. “We work alongside them to offer and encourage the right products and services, including alternative fuel options. We must embark on this journey together with a common vision and roadmap. To that end, we are a part of the Sustainable Air Freight Alliance (SAFA), which advocates for responsible transportation. The organization is made up of shipping companies, airlines and freight forwarders that are committed to measuring and reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.”

These changes do not come without their own set of unique challenges, however. Penseel adds that the current infrastructure landscape poses specific roadblocks that could potentially impede progress in the pursuit of carbon neutrality, warning that careful planning and collaboration along each step of the shipping process is critical and shouldn’t be compromised. 

“As an air freight industry, we need to be conscious of the production and infrastructure capacities for SAF,” he says. “As we ramp up the use of this alternative fuel, we need to ensure that we can deliver on our commitments. If the industry offers more SAF options, we need to work closely with the entire upstream environment to ensure the needed supply and infrastructure will be there to meet the demand we as an industry are creating.

“Estimating carbon footprint and planning accordingly is the first step toward a more sustainable supply chain. For example, we offer an eco-calculator on our website and through our MyCEVA digital booking platform to estimate the logistics carbon footprint of a shipment via ocean, air, or ground.”

Looking to the future, CEVA has more carbon-neutral tricks up its sleeve. Penseel confirmed the organization is currently discussing additional SAF options and programs with numerous air carriers to confront and resolve near-term environmental concerns. 

2022 has officially greeted the industry with CEVA taking it by the horns with customer and environmental needs at the forefront of its dedicated solutions. The organization capped off 2021 with its latest acquisition of Ingram Micro’s Commerce & Lifestyle Services business, representing another feather in the CMA CGM Group’s hat in the ecommerce planning and omnichannel sectors, further positioning them as leaders in all things shipping and supporting the goal of becoming a name among the top five global third-party logistics players. 

“The acquisition of Ingram Micro CLS is strategic for the CMA CGM Group,” Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, said in a December release. “After completing its turnaround this year, our subsidiary CEVA Logistics will accelerate its development and join the world’s top four in contract logistics.”

Customers can continue to look forward to maximizing their opportunities in meeting their own customer needs while playing an active role in contributing to a cleaner, greener and more eco-friendly way of conducting business. 

“We look to help our customers make the best decisions when planning their logistics and freight transport operations to reduce environmental impact as they balance the business and timing needs of their supply chain processes and shipments,” Penseel concludes. 

To learn more about CEVA Logistics, please visit cevalogistics.com.

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Peter Penseel is chief operating officer at CEVA Logistics.