A consumer organisation’s complaint filed with the EU’s Executive Arm accuses 17 airlines of greenwashing and making misleading climate-related claims.
At the centre of the matter is the BEUC’s claim that airlines are deceiving customers by charging them more to contribute to the development of sustainable aviation fuels, which are not ready to be used commercially and which will only make up a small percentage of aircraft fuel mix once made widely available.
The BEUC also condemns claims that paying more for a flight will annul or compensate for the flight’s carbon emissions. The BEUC said customer authorities should ask airlines to reimburse customers who paid the false additional ‘green’ fees.
According to france24.com, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) released a statement on Thursday, August 17, that these claims being made by certain airlines violate EU rules on unfair commercial practices.
“We urge authorities to take the matter into their hands and crack down on this greenwashing practice seriously misleading consumers," BEUC Deputy Director General, Ursula Pachl, said in a statement. "Airlines must stop giving consumers the false impression that they are choosing a sustainable transport mode.”
The BEUC says 23 of its member organisations from 19 countries have joined the complaint.
Airlines for Europe (A4E), an airline industry association, stated that companies should recognise the importance of transparent communications about sustainability with their customers.
