airBaltic

21 European airlines commit to avoiding ‘greenwashing’ claims following EU pressure

In June 2023, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) complained to the European Commission (EC) about airlines' greenwashing.

Photo: Anna Zvereva, via Wikimedia Commons

The European Commission (EC) has announced that 21 European airlines have committed to changing their practices regarding their environmental claims after its joint work with the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network.

The EC detailed that the 21 airlines are airBaltic, Air France, easyJet, Finnair, KLM, Luxair, Norwegian, Ryanair, SAS, TAP Air Portugal, Transavia (the Dutch and French subsidiaries), Volotea, Vueling, and Wizz Air, as well as six Lufthansa Group carriers. The latter includes Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), which are not all of the group's carriers.

According to the Commission, the 21 carriers “have committed to stop claiming that the CO2 emissions of a specific flight could be neutralised, offset, or directly reduced by consumer financial contributions to climate protection projects or for the use of alternative aviation fuels.”

During the consultation process with the airlines, the EC discussed six commitments. First, that CO2 emissions cannot be neutralized, offset, or directly reduced by contributions to climate protection projects or sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Second, the usage of the term SAF “only with appropriate clarifications to substantiate it.”

Third, airlines would refrain from using vague language to describe their environmental claims. Fourth, provide more information about their future sustainability goals with “clear timelines, achievable steps, and the types of emissions concerned.”

Lastly, carriers would display their emissions calculations transparently and would have to provide “sufficient scientific evidence and information to support claims of improved environmental impact.”

Going forward, consumer protection authorities in European Union (EU) member states “will monitor the timely implementation of these commitments as per the timeline communicated by each airline,” enabling officials to proceed with enforcement measures against airlines that fail to implement their commitments.

“To ensure fair competition and a level playing field in the aviation industry, the [CPC] will also assess the practices of other airlines operating in the Single Market, and where necessary, will require the same commitments.”

Per the EC, easyJet, for example, has only partly resolved its claims of net zero targets, with some of the low-cost carrier's targets remaining unclear. Lufthansa Group has four unresolved commitments, and has committed to resolving three others, while SAS has only partly resolved issues related to unsubstantiated ‘green’ terminology, with the EC pointing out that the Scandinavian carrier fails to clarify “the highly polluting nature of flying.”

The Commission said that its work with CPC began after the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) launched an EU-wide complaint before the EC against 17 European airlines in June 2023.

At the time, the BEUC stated that it had called for a Europe-wide investigation into specific airlines and the whole sector’s continuous claims that “give consumers the impression that flying is sustainable.”

“This is simply untrue as flying is not sustainable and is not bound to become so in the near future.”

BEUC also proposed that where carriers had proposed consumers pay extra for ‘green’ fees based on such claims, “CPC authorities should request airlines to reimburse their customers.”

Ursula Pachl, the former Deputy Director General at BEUC, stated in June 2023 that despite the fact that it is crystal clear that air travel pollutes the skies, “it beggars belief that airlines freely lure consumers with climate-friendly messaging such as 'CO2 compensated’ or ‘CO2 neutral’.”