Amstelveen,
28
October
2011
|
01:00
Europe/Amsterdam

KLM and WWF Netherlands Unite for more Sustainable Aviation

Summary

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the World Wide Fund for Nature in the Netherlands (Wereld Natuur Fonds – WWF Netherlands) will continue to cooperate towards creating a more sustainable airline industry. They have expressed the ambition to develop an international market for sustainable biokerosene within a four-year period. KLM is providing an extra impulse by striving to operate its entire fleet using an average of 1% sustainable biofuel by the year 2015. KLM and WWF Netherlands today agreed to this on signing the new contract governing their cooperation. KLM and WWF Netherlands have been cooperating closely since 2007.

Sustainable biofuels
Using biokerosene is a necessity if aviation is to become more sustainable. Industry-wide fuel efficiency will also contribute enormously. KLM has been working towards developing biofuel since 2007. To this end, KLM joined forces with the North Sea Group and Spring Associates to establish SkyNRG in 2009. These parties cooperate actively in the drive to develop a sustainable production chain for biofuels for aviation. They are open to using different raw materials to create the end product, providing they satisfy various sustainability criteria including a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions and minimising the negative impact on biodiversity and food supplies. In order to make the right choices in the future, SkyNRG is advised by an independent sustainability board, comprising representatives from WWF Netherlands, Solidaridad and the Copernicus Institute of the University of Utrecht.

Cooperation between KLM and WWF Netherlands
The renewed cooperation with WWF Netherlands should lead to an international breakthrough for sustainable biofuels for aviation. KLM and WWF Netherlands hope to unify international parties in a drive to get this market off the ground. What’s more, KLM will provide substantial financial support for a number of nature conservation projects initiated by WWF Netherlands. These projects will be specified further in the forthcoming period.

CO2 approach
The renewed contract between KLM and WWF Netherlands includes concrete, measurable agreements about the CO2 approach in the short term. Over a four-year period, KLM will be investing in measures to reinforce its position as an international leader in CO2 efficiency and fuel savings. By 2020, KLM hopes to have achieved a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions for every tonne kilometre flown in comparison with the figures for 2009.

“For seven consecutive years, KLM has been the sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index,” says Camiel Eurlings, Managing Director KLM. “Everyone at KLM has worked hard to achieve this. KLM has itself developed numerous initiatives in diverse areas: from special resistance-reducing paint to lightweight trolleys and tableware, and from a fuel efficiency programme to new engine washing technology. Despite economic uncertainties, KLM continues to invest in making the airline industry more sustainable. KLM has taken the lead for many years in reducing CO2 emissions in aviation and stimulating innovations in the field of biofuels. We attach a great deal of importance to cooperating with WWF Netherlands in this area.”

“We cannot afford to continue burning fossil fuels if we want future generations to be able to inherit the earth,” says Johan van de Gronden. “Greenhouse gases from coal, oil and gas are amongst the most important causes of climate change and therefore pose a significant threat to nature and mankind. The only way to prevent the planet from overheating is to generate all energy from renewable sources. It should be possible to supply fully sustainable power by 2050. KLM shares this vision and assumes responsibility for its actions.”


For more information:
World Wide Fund for Nature in the Netherlands (WWF Netherlands) www.wnf.nl

Dylan de Gruijl
Tel:  +31(0)30-6937333
Mobile:  +31(0)6-22607633
E-mail: dgruijl@wwf.nl 

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About KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, making it the world's oldest airline operating under its original name. In 2004, Air France and KLM merged to form AIR FRANCE KLM. The merger produced the strongest European airline group based on two powerful brands names and hubs —Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle. The two airlines collaborate on three core activities while maintaining their own identities — passenger transport, cargo, transport, and aircraft maintenance.

In the Netherlands, KLM comprises the core of the KLM Group which further includes KLM cityhopper and transavia.com. KLM serves 135 destinations using a modern fleet of 157 aircraft and employs over 33,000 people around the world. KLM is a leader in the airline industry, which offers reliable operations and customer-oriented products resulting from its policy of enthusiasm and sustainable innovation.

KLM is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance offering a network of 926 destinations in more than 173 countries. The KLM network connects the Netherlands to every important economic region around the world and, as such, serves as a powerful driver for the Dutch economy.

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