The European Commission (EC) and the European Union (EU) have taken action against 20 European airlines over greenwashing practices.
The EC press release cites issues concerning carbon offsetting fees and the promotion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) without clarifying impacts.
PASSENGER CONTRIBUTIONS
Airlines often encourage passengers to make contributions to cleaner fuels (SAF) or to offset their carbon emissions from taking flights.
Passengers might contribute towards these initiatives but the impacts of such climate initiatives are not always clear.
ALSO READ: Asking passengers to contribute to SAF: Does it work?
EUROPEAN AIRLINES GREENWASHING
The European Commission’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) has sent warning letters to 20 airlines for the misleading practice of charging passengers for carbon emission offsetting.
The CPC’s complaint focuses on airlines’ claims that CO₂ emissions caused by a flight can be offset by climate projects and the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
Monique Goyens, Director General at the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), applauded the EC’s move.
Goyens said it showed a “wind of change” around greenwashing in the aviation industry,
“It is unacceptable that airlines have freely lured consumers into offsetting their flight’s emissions, sometimes at a high price. One can never be sure that the trees planted to compensate a flight’s high emissions will capture the carbon back into the ground – if they are planted at all.” Goyens said, per Airport-Technology.
EUROPEAN AIRLINES MISLEAD CUSTOMERS
European authorities are concerned that the practice can be considered misleading or omits essential information about offsetting.
The EC and CPC identified several types of misleading practices used by the 20 airlines, including:
- Creating the impression that the additional fee for climate projects and SAF will reduce or fully counterbalance the CO₂ emissions from the flights;
- Using the term ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ (SAF) without clearly justifying the environmental impact of such fuels;
- Using the terms ‘green’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘responsible’ in an absolute way or using other implicit green claims;
- Claiming that the airline is moving towards nett-zero emissions or any future environmental performance, with no verifiable commitments or targets;
- Offering consumers a ‘CO₂ calculator’ for emissions of a specific flight without providing sufficient scientific proof that the calculation is reliable and identifying which elements are considered in the calculation;
- Using these ambiguous calculations to compare flights regarding CO₂ emissions.
Travelnews reports that the airlines in question are required to respond within 30 days. They must explain proposed measures to address the concerns regarding their environmental marketing claims.
Alternatively, airlines may submit scientific evidence that substantiates their environmental claims that are being questioned.
