Kuehne+Nagel pioneers carbon insetting for electric trucks

Under the scheme, customers who use Kuehne+Nagel’s road transport services can now ‘claim’ the carbon reductions of electric trucks when it is not possible to physically move their goods on these vehicles for reasons such as insufficient charging infrastructure or a limited driving range and payload. 

This is K+N’s second Book & Claim insetting solution and follows on from the launch of a similar scheme for HVO. This latest insetting solution has been tested and validated in cooperation with external stakeholders.

Hansjörg Rodi, Kuehne+Nagel International AG road logistics board director, said: ”We see battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as the future to reduce emissions in road freight. Carbon insetting supports the scale-up of low-emission solutions like BEVs and helps to reduce the premium that customers pay for these solutions, thereby supporting the decarbonisation of road transport.” 

Currently, only K+N’s owned BEVs are part of the Book & Claim offer, allowing the company to keep full control and transparency over the accuracy of the data that is used in the calculations. However, the team aims to expand the solution to BEVs operated by its partners so that it can support them in their fleet electrification journeys too.

“Purchasing electric trucks can be a heavy financial burden, especially for smaller carriers. Including carriers in our solution requires further complex developments in the accounting methodology, but it would help them to finance their transition. This is our next priority,” Rodi added.