Dutch Airline KLM Sued For Greenwashing In ‘Fly Responsibly’ Campaign
Greenwashing, a term that is causing a stir in the media as of late, is a company’s failure to comply with its promises to be more sustainable. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the first in the aviation industry to be called out for its falsification after publishing advertisements ensuring customers that its practices were environmentally-friendly.
The tagline of the advertisement: “Be a Hero, Fly CO2 Zero,” led flyers to believe that KLM commissioned emission-less flights, according to a complaint. However, that wasn’t the case.
In general, flights utilizing alternative fuel sources such as hydrogen power are decades away from being the norm in the airline industry. As of now, the only way airlines can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions is by carbon offsetting. Carbon offsets are the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions as compensation for emissions made elsewhere. KLM’s carbon offsets include a reforestation program in Panama.
Renewable energy manufacturer Fossielvrij NL filed a lawsuit after KLM could not prove that its advertisement was true when put to the test. The airline’s claims to return to pre-pandemic levels of flights alerted Fossielvrij to further investigate KLM.
📢 BREAKING: We just took #KLM to court, with support of @FVReclame and @ClientEarth.
— Fossielvrij NL🔥 (@FossielvrijNL) July 6, 2022
It’s the first ever case against an airline for misleading sustainability claims. As long as millions of people are being misled, we won’t get the climate action we need. pic.twitter.com/jR8z9chsBZ
If the case goes through, KLM will have to retract all advertising claiming it has been a responsible player in the fight against climate change. It will also be stopped from future advertising of this nature until all corrections have been done.
[via Bloomberg and BBC, Photo 146219750 © Mike Fuchslocher | Dreamstime.com]
