More than 20 European consumer organizations are filing a complaint to end what they say is ‘misleading greenwashing claims’ by a number of airlines. Airlines that make passengers pay extra to neutralize the CO2 emissions of their flight must pay that money back, according to consumer organizations.
The complaint will be submitted to the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network of national consumer authorities. It is directed against a total of seventeen airlines, including those of the Lufthansa group (including Brussels Airlines), Air France, KLM and Ryanair.
The consumer organisations, including the European umbrella organization BEUC, speak of ‘unfair commercial practices’ by the airlines when they ‘claim that it is possible to fly ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’. For example, some airlines allow passengers to offset or neutralize the flight’s CO2 emissions, or pay a contribution for the development of ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF). But “none of the strategies applied by the aviation sector can prevent greenhouse gas emissions,” according to the consumer organizations.
When passengers have paid a surcharge to fly ‘green’, the consumer organizations believe that the extra money should be refunded. This is the case, for example, with the airline Brussels Airlines. It offers ‘green fares’ (green fares, ed.), where passengers pay extra to ‘neutralize the CO2 emissions of their flight and fly more sustainably’, according to the company’s website.
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