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Air France, KLM, Brussels Airlines among carriers in EU greenwashing probe

Air France, KLM, Brussels Airlines among carriers in EU greenwashing probe
A KLM aircraft is towed at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 20 March 2024. A court in Amsterdam has ruled on 20 March, that a number of advertising statements made by KLM in the past were misleading and therefore illegal. The ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed against KLM by the Fossielvrij Foundation, which alleges that KLM has engaged in greenwashing. EPA-EFE/RAMON VAN FLYMEN

BRUSSELS, May 2 (Reuters) - Air France, its Dutch KLM arm and Lufthansa's LHAG.DE Brussels Airlines are among 20 airlines being investigated by the European Union for potentially misleading greenwashing practices, the airlines told Reuters, confirming a report by Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

The EU said airlines needed to make clear to what extent claims that the CO2 emissions caused by a flight could be offset by climate projects or through the use of sustainable fuels can be substantiated based on sound scientific evidence.

“Air France confirms having received a letter from the European Commission. The company is currently reviewing its contents and will study the follow-up to be taken,” a spokesperson said.

The Lufthansa Group said in a statement that it naturally deals with every complaint it receives and that it is examining it carefully.

A spokesperson for KLM said the Dutch part of the Air France-KLM AIRF.PA airline group had also received a letter from the commission.

Industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E) said in a statement that it recognises the importance of clear information about sustainability, but said that current regulations in the EU “vary significantly between countries and are still evolving”.

It is unclear which other airlines are being investigated. The EU has said it will not disclose the names as long as they are at a preliminary stage of the investigation.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, additional reporting by Dominique Vidalon in Paris, Bart Meijer in Amsterdam; Editing by Jason Neely and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • Phil Baker says:

    5 journalists to create a 6 line story – WOW!

  • Clifton Coetzee says:

    EU countries should follow in Sweden’s footsteps and scrap all the nonsense > Net zero; 2030; CO2 panic; Climate Emergency; Carbon Credits…it’s all bs. Stop production of plastic food packaging. Punish all water polluters. Plant billions of trees. Use hemp for paper and packaging.

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