This is the 15th consecutive year that Air France-KLM has been in the top three of the DJSI. This confirms the success of KLM’s investment in making the airline and the broader industry more sustainable in social, environmental and economic terms.
Pieter Elbers, KLM President & CEO: “We are pleased with this great ranking on the DJSI, which reflects the many initiatives KLM has undertaken to make air transport more sustainable. In 2018, KLM first managed to reduce its total level of CO2emissions, even though operations had grown. In so doing, KLM has reduced CO2 emissions per passenger by 17.3% compared to 2011. But we still have a great deal to do in terms of sustainability, which will remain a key area of investment and innovation for KLM. On top of that, it is important that stakeholders in our sector intensify cooperation and exchange best practices. Only by working collectively can the air transport sector make major strides forward in terms of sustainability.”
Fly Responsibly
In June, KLM launched its “Fly Responsibly” initiative (video), thereby committing itself to creating a more sustainable future for air transport. “Fly Responsibly” incorporates all of KLM’s existing and future efforts to improve the sustainability of our activities, but true progress can only be made if the entire sector cooperates. With “Fly Responsibly”, KLM therefore invites consumers to compensate for their share of CO2 emissions from their flight. Companies are invited to compensate for business travel by way of the KLM Corporate BioFuel Programme. One very recent example of our efforts to Fly Responsibly was announced yesterday: from 29 March 2020, we will replace one of our daily flights between Amsterdam and Brussels with seat capacity aboard the high-speed Thalys train.
Investments in sustainability
KLM has invested in sustainable aviation fuel since 2009, but our pledge to procure 75,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel makes us the world’s first airline to purchase biofuel on such a major scale. From 2022, this sustainable aviation fuel will be produced at the first European factory for sustainable aviation fuel, which will be built in Delftzijl. KLM is also working with the Delft University of Technology to develop an aircraft that flies more economically due to its V shape, in which the cabin for passengers and crew, as well as the cargo hold and fuel tanks are all largely integrated into the wings of the aircraft. In October 2019, a flying scale model of this aircraft as well as a life-sized section of the cabin interior will be presented to the public during the KLM Experience Days at Schiphol.
Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)
The DJSI applies a so-called “best-in-class” approach in acknowledging companies in diverse sectors that outperform competitors in terms of sustainability indicators. Every year, RobecoSAM invites more than 3,000 listed companies, including 800 companies in emerging markets, to report on their sustainability initiatives.