BRUSSELS: A year after the EU launched a probe into airline greenwashing, misleading climate claims remain rampant across Europe’s aviation sector, according to consumer group BEUC.
In a new report released yesterday, BEUC said an analysis of 17 major airlines found many still present flying as more sustainable than it is. This includes marketing “green fares” that offer carbon offsetting or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) options—despite SAF representing just 2 per cent of EU-mandated fuel use and offsets having limited real-world impact.
Some airlines, like Norwegian and Wizz Air, have removed climate claims from booking pages, but BEUC argues most changes are superficial. “Travellers are lulled into believing they are choosing a sustainable transportation rather than a highly polluting one,” said director general Agustin Reyna. The European Commission’s probe into 20 airlines is still ongoing. – AFP
