Greenwashing rife in EU aviation: consumer groups

Greenwashing rife in EU aviation: consumer groups

BRUSSELS
Greenwashing rife in EU aviation: consumer groups

The European aviation industry is awash with misleading climate-related claims, consumer groups said on June 17, over a year after the EU launched a probe into airlines' greenwashing.

An analysis of 17 air carriers found many misled passengers by suggesting that flying was more eco-friendly than it really is, pan-European consumers organisation BEUC said.

"Travelers are lulled into believing they are choosing a sustainable transportation rather than a highly polluting one," said BEUC director general Agustin Reyna.

Aviation accounts for up to 4 percent of all the European Union's greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2023 BEUC filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing European airlines of greenwashing and unfair commercial practices for inflating their green credentials.

A year later, the commission opened a probe, which is still ongoing, into 20 firms over misleading green claims.

BEUC said that little has since changed.

Some of the airlines analyzed have removed or amended their climate-related marketing claims.

Norwegian airlines removed all climate-related claims during the booking process and Wizz Air similarly did away with an option touted as offsetting carbon emissions.

But other changes have often been light, such as the choice of words or color codes.

"These improvements should not hide that greenwashing is still widespread," said Reyna.

BEUC said that many of the companies analyzed, which included Air France and Lufthansa, still offered "green" fares, charging passengers more to purchase carbon credits or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Airlines also often oversold their long-term sustainability goals, BEUC said.