Valentino Teams With Air France, KLM to Help Combat Air Travel Emissions
MILAN — Valentino’s latest sustainable-minded initiative attempts to combat air travels’ carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices when it comes to business trips.
Marking a further step toward transforming its business model and evolving into a more responsible corporation, the Italian luxury house is joining the Sustainable Aviation Fuel corporate program promoted by Air France and KLM.
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As part of the program, Valentino pledges to estimate its annual fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions related to its team’s air travels and determine each year the annual contribution earmarked to the initiative.
As per the SAF corporate program, contributions provided by its corporate clients including Valentino are channeled into the use of sustainable fuels coming from waste oils, forest residues and leftovers, and other recycled materials.
“We are pleased to join forces with Air France and KLM in this important initiative supporting the SAF program, whose green transition objectives we entirely share and support. As a brand, we are proud to share our collective voice to promote positive change,” said Valentino’s chief executive officer Jacopo Venturini.
“We believe that support in the research and development of alternative solutions aimed at reducing CO2 emissions is fundamental to continue sustaining production of sustainable fuel. This partnership adds to our growing commitment in giving back to the territory and to collectivity — a sense of responsibility developed with great attention in every step and action we take in a more conscious direction,” he added.
The two airline companies first adopted alternatives to fossil fuel in 2011, reducing emissions by 80 percent. Pledging to cut down their CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometer by 50 percent compared to 2005 and to achieve the zero carbon emissions’ milestone in 2050, they are also progressively renewing their fleets. For instance, last September Air France introduced its latest aircraft boasting new-gen energy performances that reduce CO2 emissions and acoustic footprints by 20 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
“The production of renewable fuels for aviation is key to achieving the CO2 reduction objectives in our sector,” Stefan Vanovermeir, managing director of Air France and KLM East Mediterranean, noted.
“Important companies such as Maison Valentino, which totally understand our commitment toward the environment and share our same philosophy, make sure that the road ahead is less steep. Thanks to this agreement we will be able to stimulate a more rapid availability of fuel for sustainable aviation on a wide scale, with a more competitive price compared to fossil fuels,” he explained.
Sustainability is a key topic for Valentino, which has increasingly been tackling environmental issues via initiatives across its different business units.
Last year the luxury brand committed to go fur-free starting from 2022 and alpaca-free starting with the spring 2022 season; introduced a vintage project tapping into the resale market and the circular fashion economy; pledged to work with environmentally friendly viscose suppliers for 70 percent of its production, and unveiled the Open for a Change sneaker for men and women made with recycled elements.
Back in 2013 the company joined the Greenpeace Detox Solution Commitment in a mission to eliminate all dangerous chemicals from its supply chain and signed onto Zero Deforestation Commitment projects to help protect life-giving waterways and rainforests.
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