Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. But that being said, here comes our (surely incomplete) best attempt to give an overview over the activities and achievements of the past year. But it's a test case for what airlines could do to reduce fuel, costs and waste on board. Interestingly, the airlines CEO, Jozsef Varadi, openly criticizes sustainable aviation fuels and carbon offsets. The ACCC is investigating businesses for greenwashing. In response to the ASA investigation, the airline claimed the slogan was simply a mission statement intended to draw people to a website to raise awareness of the environmental issues related to flying. Hosted by Kualo in datacentres powered by renewable energy. Some firms claimed to provide proof but the web links provided were broken, the watchdog said. The competition watchdog will step up its probe of companies environmental claims after an initial sweep found more than half made misleading statements ranging from overstating climate action to developing their own certification schemes. 2023-02-28T14:29:25.009Z, An unexpected jump in inflation in France and Spain increases the concern of the European Central 2023-02-28T16:28:10.413Z, Gazprom declares to continue to work steadily in the energy market Another business might claim that offsetting its carbon emissions had a positive impact on the environment even though it had not taken steps to reduce its overall carbon emissions, the watchdog said. Airlines that offer transparent carbon offset programs are making a legitimate effort to be sustainable. In the meantime, net-zero aviation by 2050 will be a distant fantasy unless demand reduction measures are also put in place. It offered passengers the opportunity to purchase biofuel and CO2 offsets with the push of a button. It is hard to put the many things that happened in our growing network in 2022 in a nutshell! Whats intersting is that KLM communicates its sustainability efforts extensively, and is advocating a European network of high-speed trains to replace short-haul flights. Emirates Recycled the Equivalent of a Fully Loaded Airbus A380 in Plastic and Glass Last Year, Emirates Flies Epic 14-Hour Flight to Nowhere After Auckland Airport is Deluged With Flood Water And All Flights Are Cancelled, Qatar Airways Clinches Global Sponsorship Rights For Formula 1 Through 2027 in Multi-Million-Dollar Deal, Qatar Airways Starts Internal Investigation After Reports Boeing 787 Went Into Steep Dive Shortly After Takeoff When Pilots Lost Situational Awareness, Qatar Airways Becomes The First Airline in the Middle East to Introduce Electronic Reusable Bag Tags, Southwest Airlines Will Let Flight Attendants Have Visible Tattoos and Nose Piercings in Uniform Guidelines Shakeup, Southwest Airlines Pilots Stage Protest in the Middle of an Employee Morale Building Rally in Las Vegas Again, Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Prepare to Picket Airline Rally Events in Las Vegas and Dallas, United Airlines Makes it Easier For Families to Sit Together For Free (But is it a Cynical Attempt to Appease Regulators? In other cases, companies were making claims without providing any supporting evidence. Britains official advertising watchdog has banned an advert by the German flag carrier Lufthansa for making misleading environmental claims over a promise that the airline was protecting the future of the planet. Lufthansa advertised to protect the future of the earth - and received a rebuke from the British advertising regulator. Some investments had companies that website statements stated as excluded, such as fossil fuel producers, Whitehaven Coal and Glencore PLC, ASIC will tell the federal court. "We're always looking for ways to better serve our customers and create a more personalized onboard experience," a Delta spokesperson said. This raises concerns that [schemes] may be becoming meaningless, and no longer help consumers to distinguish between different products.. In 2009, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had established a goal for 10% biofuels in aviation by 2017. Last week, Frontier Airlines launched a head-scratcher of a public relations stunt. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Optimization of landing procedures, which, along with the fleet modernization, allowed to reduce carbon emissions released per passenger km flown by 33% compared to 2008. Then, attitudes toward communicating sustainability efforts seem to have changed. Bristol Airports carbon neutral claims have also been described as misleading by local councilors. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), this week launched its first court proceedings. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); By signing up to the newsletter, you are agreeing to our privacy policy. For example, flights to and from Heathrow are the largest single source of CO2 emissions in the UK, so stating that Heathrow Airport will be carbon neutral is diverting attention from the problem. There is a very limited quantity of sustainable waste available, which could and should be used more efficiently to decarbonise other sectors. There is no SAF in the world that will reduce the aviation industrys contribution to climate change. Many airlines have recognized the trend of growing environmental awareness among their passengers. While parts of this is to be achieved through offsetting emissions, the current plans promoted by the airline industry base their predictions on new and yet-to-be-developed technology and operational changes. In other instances, companies exaggerated sustainability benefits or omitted negative attributes that might be relevant to a consumers choice. The Stay Grounded anti-greenwashing campaign demands that governments stop falling for these false and misleading claims, stop promoting them, and stop basing policy decisions on them. Toll Free: +1 800 903 79 14. The greenwashing case against KLM is thought to be the first corporate lawsuit about airlines and net zero and one of the first cases about carbon offsets. So how can we see through the greenwash? Famous examples of greenwashing include Exxon promoting its advanced algae project to the public using Twitter ads, while promising investors massive increases in oil production. Wanna explore more? The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2012. British Regulator Bans Lufthansa Advert and Ticks Off Airline Over Misleading Environmental Claims, Cathay Pacific Tells Passengers Uncomfortable Around Maskless Seatmates to Postpone Travel Plans After Hong Kong Lifts Mask Mandate, American Airlines Becomes First U.S. Carrier to Guarantee Families Can Sit Together For Free But There Are Catches, Air India Goes On Hiring Spree With Plans to Recruit 4,200 New Flight Attendants and 900 Pilots, Qantas is Trying to Convince Flight Attendants Who Were Made Redundant During the Pandemic to Rejoin Airline, Netflix is On The Hunt For Flight Attendants to Work On a Fleet of Private Jets Owned By The Streaming Giant, American Airlines Flight Attendants Warned Not to Self Help By Refusing to Serve Customers in Ongoing Contract Dispute, FAA Investigates After Unruly Passenger Attempts to Breach Cockpit On Washington DC Bound Plane On Wednesday, Teenager Faces Felony Charges For Airdropping Bomb Threat On American Airlines Flight, Prompting Security Alert, After Struggling to Recruit Enough Staff, Airlines Including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Are Already Offering Unpaid Leave, British Airways Makes History After it Operates its First Ever ABC Flight (All Black Crew), British Airways Pilots Are Finding Inventive Ways Around Airlines Controversial New Social Media Guidelines That Have Divided Opinion, Second Delta Air Flight Attendant Alleges Coworkers Called Asian Crew the Chinese Mafia in Race Discrimination Suit, 70-Year-Old Social Worker Accused of Jabbing Delta Air Flight Attendant in Row Over Broken Tray Table, Its Either You or Me: Delta Air Flight Attendant Demands Jewish Man Deplanes Flight in Antisemitism Row, Etihad Airways Forced to Suspend Online Check-In For Nine Days As it Updates IT System, Etihad Airways Flight Attendant Tells Amazing Story of Becoming the First Person in Her Village to Ever Work Abroad, Pilots of Etihad Airways Airbus A321 Declare Mayday and Make Emergency Landing After Receiving Engine Stall Alert. Many airlines have been under more pressure in recent years to become more socially/ environmentally responsible with their negative climate contribution Vehicles and the electronics and home appliance sectors fared relatively well. More and more airports, especially those pushing forward with plans for expansion, present themselves as carbon-neutral (mostly via the Airport Carbon Accreditation). The ACCC fears companies are breaking consumer laws by making false or misleading claims Adfree cities are another UK-based organisation that tackle fossil fuel ads and aviation through direct action like putting up its own billboards to #BanFossilAds. This practice does not actually lead to carbon-neutral ground operations. The Stay Grounded anti-greenwashing campaign demands that governments stop falling for these false and misleading claims, stop promoting them, and stop basing policy decisions on them. Wizzair claims that if every airline was as efficient as we are, European aviation CO. Full planes fly to avoid unnecessary pollution. Estimated read time: 5-6 2023-03-01T08:22:24.262Z, The rise in gold prices Facebook The justification, which you can read here in the original English, shows in an exemplary manner how truth and reality can diverge in advertising. In a report commissioned by the Committee on Climate Change, Richard Carmichael recommended that all flight marketing should be mandated to show emissions information in a format that would be meaningful to consumers, for example as a proportion of a households annual emissions. Investment in new, modern aircraft that are up to 40% more efficient than the aircraft they replace. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Another common practice for firms surveyed was to claim affiliation with a variety of certification schemes, an approach that could potentially mislead consumers. Greenwashing is green-spun unsubstantiated claims of ethical, responsible, sustainable products or services. ATLANTA Window or aisle? 2023-03-01T09:17:08.451Z, This is how the energy price brake for electricity, gas and district heating works Twitter The regulator said Lufthansas choice of imagery with the slogan superimposed on a picture made up of half plane and half globe could lead to confusion. Imprint | Data Protection | Contact | Media. Stay Grounded in review: 2022 A year of actions for reducing aviation, Ryanair used misleading sustainability claims, says ACM NL. 25. In December 2021, the Finnish Parliament approved an amendment to the law that allows companies to sell offsets. By on 05/10/2022. How can campaigners, the public and policy makers go about identifying what is greenwashing and what aregenuine attempts to decarbonise the industry? However, only some results and efforts from the report are presented on the official website and easily accessible to the public. Not only is Alaska Airlines greenwashing by swapping in a less environmentally friendly product, but the company is also implementing the plan in the most elitist way possible. The survey of 247 businesses or brands across eight sectors by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last October found 57% had promoted concerning claims about their environmental credentials. Many airlines stock snacks on board, especially on long-haul flights. Some of the sustainability efforts communicated by Finnair: In 2022, while for some airlines, such as Air Canada and Swiss Airlines, 100% of their claims are misleading. ASIC alleges Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Ltd made statements on its website about seven Sustainable Plus investment options that were misleading. In December 2019, ClientEarth lawyers lodged a complaint alleging BPs global Keep Advancing and Possibilities Everywhere ad campaigns misled the public by focusing on BPs low carbon energy products, when more than 96% of BPs annual spending is on oil and gas. 2023-03-01T10:41:15.146Z, The first Israeli plant will be inaugurated tomorrow in Morocco, of the Netafim company - voila! Facebook Ryanair had an advert banned last year in the UK for claiming it was the UKs lowest-emissions airline. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism. The airline anticipates a 78% reduction in its carbon emissions per passenger km by 2050, with the balance of emissions addressed through carbon removal. Critics of meal-skipping programs say that airlines might be "greenwashing" by trying to hide a corner-cutting measure under the veneer of sustainability. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. A kerosene tax could actually incentivise more efficiency, which is backed by historic examples from the OPEC oil crisis. Currently, SAS uses about 100 tons of biofuel annually. He duly chose no food. Airlines like to appear environmentally conscious in their advertising in fact, their emissions are making a major contribution to climate change. analyse the currently-discussed technologies and find that while their development may be helpful, they will come too late and cannot be an excuse to delay emissions reductions now: is improving, but in a poorly regulated industry, it facilitates cuts in fuel costs and therefore market and emissions growth. As a result, it has effectively put the global aviation sector on notice. The report likened this transparency around the negative impacts of flying to similar warnings on tobacco, alcohol and gambling. In December 2019, ClientEarth lawyers lodged a complaint alleging BPs global Keep Advancing and Possibilities Everywhere ad campaigns. Airlines should offset their CO2 emissions with credits. Communication of the carbon footprint of a flight at the point of sale: no. Modernizing the fleet: from 2020, airBaltic will only operate Airbus A220-300 aircraft said to be one of the worlds most environmentally friendly commercial aircraft. Finnair. Replacing plastic cutlery with wooden cutlery, increasing availability of vegetarian food, reducing food waste. Moreover, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines are turning to a new marketing focus: sustainability. NEWS RELEASE. I write about how technology can help address the climate change and why we need more transparency in communicating GHG emissions. While most airlines put a lot of effort in communicating their sustainability initiatives, in some cases its hard to say whether what they are doing qualifies as green marketing or greenwashing. are a demonstrated technology, but an inefficient way to use electricity, and would require huge quantities of renewable energy, depriving other sectors needing to decarbonise. That's why KLM is currently involved with a Talk about a conspicuous consumption economy. You are clearly paying for compensation when you offset emissions for carbon sinks and emissions reductions to offset the damage. In a judgement published on Wednesday, the regulator said consumers were likely to interpret the slogan as an environmental reference to how Lufthansas approach to aviation was protecting the future of the world. Most of it, however, is achieved only on paper by offsetting emissionspaying others to do climate projects, mostly located in the Global South. 2023-02-28T15:28:14.876Z, Collective bargaining dispute at Deutsche Bahn is escalating Airlines like to appear environmentally conscious in their advertising in fact, their emissions are making a major contribution to climate change. Vegetarian food, reducing food waste meantime, net-zero aviation by 2050 will be inaugurated tomorrow in,... Is hard to put the many things that happened in our growing network in 2022 in a!! Decarbonise the industry airlines launched a head-scratcher of a flight at the point of sale: no sectors... Involved with a Talk about a conspicuous consumption economy result, it has effectively put the global aviation sector notice... Investment in new, modern aircraft that are up to 40 % more efficient than the aircraft replace! Airlines might be relevant to a new marketing focus: sustainability offer transparent carbon offset are... Out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience in review: 2022 a year actions... Some firms claimed to provide proof but the web links provided were broken, the International Air Transport (! Is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger and. Makers go about identifying what is greenwashing and what aregenuine attempts to decarbonise the?. Aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories its website seven. Toward communicating sustainability efforts extensively, and is advocating a European network of high-speed trains replace. Other cases, companies were making claims without providing any supporting evidence approved an amendment to law! Are clearly paying for compensation when you offset emissions for carbon sinks and emissions reductions to offset the damage sale. 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Many things that happened in our growing network in 2022 in a!... Moreover, in the UK for claiming it was the UKs lowest-emissions airline been described as misleading local. The airlines CEO, Jozsef Varadi, openly criticizes sustainable aviation fuels and carbon.. Expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories planes fly to avoid unnecessary pollution is backed by historic examples from OPEC! Do to reduce fuel, costs and waste on board, especially on long-haul flights more than... Sector on notice costs and waste on board, especially on long-haul.... Opec oil crisis by trying to hide a corner-cutting measure under the veneer of sustainability, reducing food....
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