Green (F)lying: Two years on

In June 2023, BEUC and 23 of its members from 19 countries lodged an EU-wide complaint against 17 European airlines for greenwashing. Based on a new evidence-gathering and two years after we launched our ‘Green (f)lying’ action we found that:

• Some airlines have removed or changed their climate-related marketing claims. This appears to be a result of the actions launched by consumer groups and other civil society organisations  as well as of the exchanges between airlines and consumer protection authorities.

• However, greenwashing continues to be widespread, and some changes have been limited (such as light changes in the wording and/or colour codes). Consumers are overall still being faced with the false impression that they are choosing a sustainable transport method rather than a highly polluting one.

• Airlines’ green claims continue to rely on two key arguments: As shown in our 2023 action, claims mainly misrepresent the impact of the flight through reliance on ‘offsetting’ claims and oversell the trader’s future goals and plans.

• ‘Green fares’ are increasingly popular. The airlines which are part of the Lufthansa group registered a steady rise of such fares, which grant consumers extra miles or loyalty points.

• Regulatory contexts are getting stricter in Europe and beyond. An increasing number of authorities and court decisions have clarified when and how climate-related claims can be admissible.