Flower importer company, María Flowers, has become the first flower client to participate in LATAM Group’s CO2 compensation programme, ‘1+1: Offset to Conserve’.

It follows the news that the two firms have successfully offset over 1,290 tonnes of CO2 through strategic conservation projects in South America.

This compensation corresponds to the total CO2 emissions from all its flower shipments transported with LATAM Group’s cargo subsidiaries in 2023.

In 2023, María Flowers transported over 1,300 tonnes of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to Miami.

To offset the carbon emissions associated with these shipments, the company joined the ‘1+1: Offset to Conserve’ programme and compensated 648 tonnes of CO2 in the region, representing 50% of its emissions.

The remaining 50% was covered by LATAM Group’s cargo subsidiaries, resulting in a total impact of 1,297 tonnes of CO2 offset.

An important step towards sustainability for the floriculture sector

Cristina Oñate, vice president of marketing and product development at LATAM Cargo Chile, said: “As part of the commitment to sustainability through the ‘1+1 Offset to Conserve’ programme, we collaborate with clients to conserve some of the world’s most relevant ecosystems, making a positive impact on the environment.

“We thank María Flowers for joining this initiative and promoting more sustainable practices in the flower industry in South America.”

Felipe Villamizar, president of María Flowers, said: “We are excited to take this important step towards sustainability for the floriculture sector thanks to this excellent carbon offset programme created by LATAM Group.

“For María Flowers Inc. it is a great honour to be LATAM Cargo’s first sustainability partner in the floriculture sector.”

The contribution made by LATAM Group and María Flowers benefited projects with prestigious certifications such as Gold Standard, VCS, CCBA and Bio Carbon Registry, that stand out for their high environmental and social value in Colombia, Chile and Peru.

These projects include ‘CO2Bio’, aiming to protect floodable savannas in the Orinoco region in Colombia; the ‘Cururos Wind Farm’ in Chile, aiming to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources; and the ‘Nii Kaniti Community Forest Management’ in the Amazon rainforest in Ucayali, Peru, to prevent deforestation and ecosystems degradation through sustainable community forest management.

The ‘1+1 Offset to Conserve’ programme

Through the ‘1+1: Offset to Conserve’ programme, LATAM Group’s cargo subsidiaries invite their clients to collaboratively offset the total amount of CO2 emissions generated by their shipments.

Clients only need to cover 50% of the compensation cost, with LATAM Cargo covering the remaining 50%.

Clients can access a platform that calculates their CO2 footprint and offers compensation alternatives through the purchase of carbon credits.

These credits support internationally-certified projects in South America, generating an impact on the environment and communities.

Clients have the flexibility to choose the compensation frequency, the project of interest, and the percentage of their total emissions they wish to offset.

By participating in the programme, clients receive a detailed monthly report with the actual emissions from their shipments, calculated using a methodology developed by LATAM Group’s cargo subsidiaries based on IATA and ICAO standards, and emission factors based on LATAM Group’s operations.

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