“Fly with us without CO2 emissions”: Austrian company Austrian Airlines has been convicted of misleading advertising, it said in an unprecedented ruling posted on its Twitter account on Monday.
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The court in Korneuburg near Vienna ruled that the Lufthansa Group subsidiary had given “a false impression” by promising its customers the opportunity to visit the Venice Biennale without polluting the planet.
This decision, which does not impose financial sanctions, was issued in June but has just been published under a publication requirement.
It is part of a multiplying context in the world of greenwashing procedures that target the communications of large companies or organizations.
Through the use of “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF), “climate-neutral flights are already possible,” Austrian Airlines assured in its advertising campaign from 2022.
However, these fuels emit CO2 when burned, with the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions occurring mainly during the production phase. They are currently also mixed with kerosene of fossil origin.
The consumer association to which the complaint was submitted (VKI) welcomed the decision and referred to it as a “first in Austria,” said legal expert Barbara Bauer in an interview with AFP.
Austrian Airlines said in a statement that it “takes note of the ruling” and promised to provide “clearer” information about the use of so-called sustainable fuels in the future.
The Austrian company, along with 16 other airlines, had already been criticized by European consumer associations for greenwashing in June.
They were criticized for “implying that air transport could be ‘sustainable’, ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘green’.
The aviation sector, which accounts for 2% to 3% of global CO2 emissions, is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.
SAF is made from used oils, wood residues or algae and can be used in current aircraft in addition to kerosene. They are seen as the most important lever for decarbonization in the coming decades, but their production is still in its infancy.