Small steps, big impact: How KLG Europe makes logistics more sustainable

01 juni 2026

Every year on 5 June, the world marks World Environment Day. The 2026 edition puts the focus firmly on climate change, with a simple call: act now, and act together. For a transport and logistics company, that call lands close to home. Moving goods across Europe and beyond has a real environmental footprint, and reducing it is one of the defining challenges of the sector. To mark the day, we spoke with our colleague Akram Zaidi, ESG & Compliance Specialist at KLG Europe, about what sustainability means in daily practice, what the company has already achieved, where it still has work to do, and why progress is something we build together.

World Environment Day this year is all about climate change, and about acting together. Why should a logistics company take a day like this seriously, rather than treat it as just another date on the calendar?

"This year's campaign talks about the signals the Earth is sending us, and the signals we choose to send back. For a logistics company, our signal back is the choices we make every day: the fuel we use, the routes we plan, the energy we generate. Our sector has a real impact on the climate, which means we also have a real part to play in addressing it. Transport is one of the larger sources of emissions in Europe, and at KLG Europe our trucks alone drive the equivalent of roughly 950 times around the Earth every year. A day like this is a useful moment to be honest about that footprint and to show, with evidence, what we are doing to reduce it. We see World Environment Day less as a celebration and more as a checkpoint: a chance to measure ourselves against our own promises and to remind everyone, including ourselves, that the work continues the other 364 days too."

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Could you tell us briefly about your role, and why sustainability and responsibility genuinely matter in transport and logistics, beyond being a label?

As ESG and Compliance Specialist, my work sits where environmental goals, social responsibility, and the rules we must follow all meet. In practice that means helping the business set targets it can actually keep, and measuring our progress honestly.

We are a transport and logistics company with focus on international distribution. Operations across Europe that carry a real environmental footprint.

That gives us influence, and influence brings responsibility. Our long-standing vision is simple to say. To be on the road to zero emissions in logistics.

Climate goals can sound abstract. How does KLG Europe turn them into something practical, on the road, in the fleet, and in the warehouse?

"It comes down to many concrete choices rather than one big gesture. On fuel, we offer HVO100, a renewable diesel made largely from waste and residual oils, which lowers CO₂ emissions by around 85% compared with regular diesel. Through our Book & Claim service, customers can claim that reduction at the level of their own shipments.

We also work on modal shift, moving freight from road to rail or water where it makes sense, and on intermodal transport that combines these modes efficiently. Our fleet meets the Euro 6 emissions standard, and we train our drivers in fuel-efficient, safer driving.

Also in warehousing, the smaller measures add up too: LED lighting, separating waste streams, reusing packaging, and working as paperless as we can."

Let's talk about results. What has KLG Europe already achieved that you can point to with confidence, and, just as honestly, what are still challenges?

"We had already reduced the CO₂ emissions of our trucks by 15% before 2025, that is achieved. Independently, we hold an EcoVadis Silver medal, with an overall score of 71 out of 100, placing us in the top 15% of all companies assessed. We are certified to ISO 14001 for environmental management and expanding it and we take part in the Lean & Green programme for structural CO₂ reduction.

On long-distance, there are still some challenges. Heavy road transport remains difficult to decarbonise fully, because zero-emission options at that scale are still limited and developing. So while we are proud of the progress, we are realistic that there is still a long way to go."

World Environment Day and World Biodiversity Day both stress acting locally and together. How does that show up at KLG Europe?

""Together" is one of our core values, and it shapes how we act locally. A recent example is our birdhouse project for World Biodiversity Day: in line with this year's UN theme, "Acting locally for global impact," we installed around 80 sustainable birdhouses, in four designs suited to different bird species, throughout the KLG forest in Eersel. It supports local nature and involves the next generation in caring for it. On energy, we already generate our own power with solar panels and store it with battery systems.

The next step is an energy hub, which will let us soon use energy even more efficiently together with other companies in our area. None of this works in isolation; local cooperation is exactly how small steps add up to a wider impact."

Looking ahead, what are KLG Europe's commitments, and how do you keep them honest and measurable, so they do not become empty promises?

"Our ambitions are clear and dated. We aim to reduce the CO₂ emissions of our trucks by 30% by 2030, and to reach carbon-neutral transport by 2050. These goals are in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal.

To keep them honest, we measure and report. We map all our energy flows under the energy-saving rules, pinpoint where we can improve, and monitor and register the results, which feeds directly into reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. We report those emissions, and our progress is checked by independent assessments such as EcoVadis and our ISO audits. That same reliable measurement increasingly helps our partners with their own reporting needs, which is a benefit we are glad to share."

World Environment Day asks everyone to play a part. What is your message to customers, partners, and colleagues, and where can people learn more?

My message is the one we keep returning to:

small steps, big impact, and we make the difference together.

No single company, and no single person, fixes this alone, but each honest choice moves us forward. If you would like to see how we work, our Sustainability page explain our approach, our GEORGE programme, our alternative fuel options, and our EcoVadis result. And if you want to travel a greener route with us, feel free to get in touch.

"World Environment Day 2026 reminds us that the climate challenge is shared, and that progress depends on acting together. The Earth is sending its signals; the signal KLG Europe chooses to send back is steady, measurable action. That belief is not new: it runs from a 15% reduction already achieved, through everyday choices on fuel, fleet, and warehouses, to a clear goal of carbon-neutral transport by 2050.

There is still distance to cover, and we prefer to be honest about that. But step by step, and together with our people, partners, and the communities around our sites, we intend to keep moving forward.

Learn more about our approach on the KLG Europe Sustainability pages.