European Commission targets 20 airlines for misleading green claims

The European Commission has filed a complaint against 20 airlines for “potentially misleading green claims.” The airlines have 30 days from the April 30 complaint to comply with the law, according to a release from the European Commission (EC). [caption id="attachment_77202" align="alignright" width="392"] (Courtesy/European Union)[/caption] The airlines cited include: Lufthansa Group and its subsidiaries; Air France and its Dutch counterpart, KLM ; Wizz Air ; and Norwegian Airlines . The European Consumer Organization , which represents consumers in 31 European countries, first alerted the EC of the alleged misrepresentations, including: Creating the incorrect impression that paying an additional fee to finance environmental projects or to support the use of alternative aviation fuels can reduce or fully counterbalance CO2 emissions; Using the term “sustainable aviation fuels” ( SAF ) without clearly explaining the environmental impact of such fuels; Using terms such as “green,” “ sustainable ” and “responsible” absolutely and without modifiers explaining how green something is; Saying that the airline is moving toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions or any future environmental performance, without clear and verifiable commitments, targets and an independent monitoring system; Presenting consumers with a calculator for the CO2 emissions of a specific flight, without proving the calculator ’s accuracy or showing which information was used to reach the result ; and Presenting consumers with comparisons of CO2 emissions on multiple flights without showing the data and process by which the comparison was reached. “We are aware of the [European Consumer Organization’s] complaint and the EU Commission ’ s communication,” Anne Hahn, environmental, social and governance spokesperson for Lufthansa Group , told Air Cargo Next . “Among the 20 airlines contacted are also airlines of the Lufthansa Group. We naturally deal with every complaint that we receive and examine it carefully. “For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the continuous optimization of flight operations, the use of sustainable aviation fuel, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or the transport of cargo more sustainable ,” Hahn said. Overstating sustainable progress can erode trust from stakeholders, Brandon Fried , executive director of the Airforwarders Association , told Air Cargo Next . “A mbitious sustainability targets must be backed by concrete actions and measurable results,” he said. “By collaborating on industrywide solutions, we can address environmental concerns and advocate for responsible practices within the air cargo industry.” Meeting date set for May To address greenwashing marketing claims, the EC will set a meeting this month to allow the airlines to address current strategies and solutions, according to the EC release. “Furthermore, the commission will monitor the implementation of the agreed-upon changes,” the April 30 release stated. “If the airlines involved do not take the necessary steps to solve concerns raised in the letter, authorities can decide to take further enforcement actions, including sanctions.” Lufthansa said it is evaluating its practices to become compliant before the deadline. “The Lufthansa Group relies on a continuous dialog and regularly informs its customers, stakeholders and the interested public through various channels about its responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of flying,” Hahn said. A Dutch court in March ruled against KLM for its sustainable practices, saying its marketing team pushed misleading sustainability ads for its “Fly Responsibly” campaign — making KLM the first airline to be ruled against for such actions, according to Dutch news agency ANP , which first reported on the case. The airline has since suspended the campaign, according to the news outlet. Air France KLM did not respond to requests for comment from Air Cargo Next. IATA and its more than 300 member airlines in 2021 committed to reaching net zero by 2050. Aviation accounts for 3% of all global emissions and major airlines around the globe have committed to SAF purchases to reduce emissions by up to 80%. Air Cargo Next has launched a business directory listing cargo carriers, service providers and technology companies. Each category has sub-categories, allowing users to find the right business to meet their needs. Users can also add their businesses to the directory and claim existing entries. Visit the Air Cargo Next Directory here.

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