Green (f)lying
Green (f)lying
Why did BEUC file a complaint against 17 European airlines?
BEUC and 23 of its member organisations from 19 countries filed a complaint on 22 June 2023 to the European Commission and the network of consumer protection authorities (CPC) denouncing misleading climate-related claims by 17 European airlines. According to a legal analysis commissioned by BEUC, such claims breach the EU rules tackling unfair commercial practices (EU Directive 2005/29/EC). Following the complaint, in November 2025 21 airlines committed to stop greenwashing.
What was BEUC’s complaint against airlines about?
BEUC’s complaint centred on airlines climate related claims as misleading as aviation is the most carbon intensive mode of transport and Europe’s fastest growing source of emissions. In a move to appear “greener,” airlines are making climate-related marketing claims (also called “carbon offsetting claims”) calling on consumers to compensate, offset or neutralise the CO2 emissions of their flights. We believe that these practices are misleading and deceptive for consumers under the EU rules on unfair commercial practices (EU Directive 2005/29/EC).
What is the real impact on consumers?
The real impact on consumers is that they pay extra fees to "offset" or "compensate" their flight emissions, misled into believing that the climate harm of flying is fully counterbalanced or undone. Compensation claims do not stand up to scientific scrutiny and offsetting does not actually decarbonise the aviation sector. Describing flights as "sustainable" or "green" adds to this harm, as it prevents consumers from understanding that the only effective strategy to decarbonise aviation is to fly less.
Which BEUC members and consumer organisations took part in this action?
DECO (Portugal), Асоциация Активни потребители/Active consumers (Bulgaria), Forbrugerrådet Tænk (Denmark), EKPIZO (Greece), CLCV and Que Choisir Ensemble (France), CECU and ASUFIN (Spain), Tudatos Vásárlók Egyesülete (Hungary), Fundacja Konsumentów and Federacja Konsumentów (Poland), Spoločnosť ochrany spotrebiteľov (S.O.S.) (Slovakia), Kuluttajaliitto – Konsumentförbundet ry (Finland), Forbrukerrådet (Norway), Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (Germany), Sveriges Konsumenter (Sweden), Arbeiterkammer (Austria), Fédération romande des consommateurs (Switzerland), Zveza potrošnikov Slovenije (Slovenia), Consumentenbond (The Netherlands).
The following consumer organisations also supported the action: Altroconsumo in Italy – OCU - Testachats/Testaankoop in Belgium.
What actions is BEUC calling for in its complaint against 17 European airlines
In its complaint against 17 European airlines, BEUC, its member organisations and other participating consumer organisations called on the European Commission and the CPC Network to take the following action:
- Start a coordinated enforcement action and publish a joint position. This will be essential to send a clear and strong signal to the airlines concerned and to the entire sector about the misleading nature of climate-related marketing claims based on offsetting schemes and/or supposed use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
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Require airlines to stop misleading consumers through climate-related marketing claims and practices.
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Clearly inform consumers that whereas airlines may invest in climate-protection projects, the latter should not be presented or featured as neutralising, offsetting or compensating flights’ emissions. Airlines should make it transparent to consumers that flying is not sustainable and cannot be sustainable in the near future.
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Monitor the use of climate-related marketing claims by the entire airline sector and impose fines on airlines in the event that they would continue to use such claims (or a variation thereof) in a misleading manner.
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Request airlines to reimburse consumers when airlines have proposed consumers to pay extra fees for flights presented as “greener”. If these amounts are small and the concerned consumers cannot be identified easily, the unduly received fees could be dedicated to an environmental or consumer protection cause, to be agreed upon by the CPC-Network.
2025
Press release, 21 airlines commit to stop greenwashing following a BEUC complaint, 7 November 2025
Press release, Airlines greenwashing still rife despite improvements, 17 June 2025
Report, Green (F)lying: Two years on and annex, June 2025
2024
Press release, European authorities acknowledge airlines’ greenwashing denounced by consumer groups, 30 April 2024
Event recording, Flying away from greenwashing, 17.September 2024
Briefing, Launch of a coordinated action by CPC authorities against suspected greenwashing practices by airlines, 17 September 2024
The use of the term 'Sustainable Aviation Fuels' in B2C commercial communications September 2024
2023 - Launch
Press release, Consumer groups launch EU-wide complaint against 17 airlines for greenwashing, 22 June 2023
Main findings and conclusions, Green (F)lying, 22 June 2023
Study, The legality of climate-related marketing claims by the aviation sector under EU Directive 2005/29/EC, Dr. Clemens Kaupa, 22 June 2023
Letter, External alert submitted to the CPC-Network, 22 June 2023
Report Targeted airlines & identified practices, 23 June 2023
Q&A, The coordinated enforcement action by consumer groups in a nutshell, 23 June 2023
KLM defends advertisements in Dutch court, denies 'greenwashing'
Daily Mail (19 December 2023)
“In June Europe's consumer rights body BEUC lodged a complaint with the European Commission against 17 airlines, saying they used terms such as "sustainable" deceptively.”
«Greenwashing» : des associations vont déposer plainte contre 17 compagnies aériennes européennes
Le Figaro (22 June 2023)
“Ces associations de 18 pays, membres du Bureau européen des unions de consommateurs (BEUC), reprochent aux compagnies visées [...], de «sous-entendre que le transport aérien peut être +durable+, +écoresponsable+ et +vert+»”
EU-Verbraucherverbände werfen Airlines Greenwashing vor - und reichen Beschwerde ein
Spiegel (22 June 2023)
“Behauptungen, dass die Zahlung zusätzlicher Gebühren die CO2-Emissionen eines Fluges ›ausgleichen‹, ›neutralisieren‹ oder ›kompensieren‹ kann, sind sachlich falsch«, erklärte Beuc.”
Varias asociaciones europeas de consumidores acusan de 'lavado verde' a 17 aerolíneas
El Mundo (22 June 2023)
“Además, BEUC ha denunciado que las compañías aéreas engañan a los consumidores al "cobrarles más" para contribuir al desarrollo de combustibles de aviación sostenibles (SAF).”
European airlines hit by 'greenwashing' complaint
France24 (22 June 2023)
The European Consumer Organisation, or BEUC, said Thursday the claims made by the airlines breach EU rules on unfair commercial practices.
Compensation CO2 : les compagnies aériennes accusées frontalement de « greenwashing »
Le Soir (22 June 2023)
“L’accusation n’est pas que symbolique. Elle fait l’objet du dépôt d’une plainte par le Beuc, la plateforme européenne d’organisations de consommateurs, auprès de la Commission européenne, notamment.”
SAS og 16 andre luftfartsselskaber anklages for greenwashing
Jyllands Posten (22 June 2023)
“BEUC opfordrer dem til at ”holde op med at komme med påstande, der giver forbrugerne indtryk af, at flyvning er bæredygtigt”.”
Contact Card
Team Consumer Redress
The European Consumer Organisation
Europäischer Verbraucherverband
Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs
Tel:
E-mail:
Alexandre Biard
Manager, Enforcement, Competition and Consumer rights
Pauline Constant
Director, Communications