17 September 2024 | 16:00-17:30 CET | ONLINE
Safe Landing member Finlay Asher spoke at this event about aviation industry greenwashing, which is hosted by BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation): https://www.beuc.eu/events/flying-away-greenwashing
“Compensate your flights”, “travel more sustainably”, “offset your carbon emissions”, “towards more climate neutral aviation”… These are a few examples of claims that many consumers see nowadays when booking a flight. Airlines argue that flying can be sustainable. Is that really the case?
European consumer Authorities (the CPC-Network) recently voiced concerns about suspected greenwashing practices from aviation companies. This action, coordinated by the Belgian, Norwegian, Spanish and Dutch authorities and supported by the European Commission, followed a complaint by 23 consumer organisations in June 2023.
In March 2024, the Dutch Court issued the first judgment on similar practices, finding that the airline KLM’s green advertising claims breached consumer law. The complaint was brought by Dutch climate campaign organisations Fossielvrij and Reclame Fossielvrij, with the support of ClientEarth.
BEUC’s online event heard from and discussed with expert speakers on whether airlines’ claims are based on sound evidence and can be trusted.
Speakers included:
- Derik Broekhoff (Stockholm Environment Institute)
- Clemens Kaupa (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- Hiske Arts (Fossielvrij)
- Finlay Asher (Safe Landing)
- Erin Vera (Transport & Environment)
The event was moderated by Sam Morgan (journalist).
Watch the recording of Finlay’s intervention here:
And watch the full recording of the entire session here:
You can also read this briefing produced with ClientEarth, detailing the key factual and scientific evidence around the claims considered potentially misleading by the CPC authorities: https://www.beuc.eu/tools/launch-coordinated-action-cpc-authorities-against-suspected-greenwashing-practices-airlines