Environmental groups are planning legal action against Dutch airline KLM over what they say are “misleading” adverts about the sustainability of the carrier’s flights.
Netherlands-based climate change campaigner Fossielvrij NL, supported by Reclame Fossielvrij and environmental lawyers from ClientEarth, notified KLM of their legal claim by submitting a “pre-action” letter at the airline’s annual general meeting.
They said it would be the “first lawsuit to challenge airline industry greenwashing”. The lawsuit will argue that KLM’s Fly Responsibly marketing campaign was “highly misleading”, including the airline’s claims to be “creating a more sustainable future”.
Campaigners allege that the adverts “violate” EU consumer law as they “give a false impression over the sustainability of its flights and plans to address its climate harm”.
Hiske Arts, a campaigner at Fossielvrij NL, said: “KLM’s marketing misleads consumers into believing that its flights won’t worsen the climate emergency, but this is a myth.
“We’re going to court to demand KLM tells the truth about its fossil-fuel dependent product. Unchecked flying is one of the fastest ways to heat up the planet. Customers need to be informed and protected from claims that suggest it is not.”
The environmental groups argue that KLM’s “plan for continual increases in flying is at odds with the rapid and deep emissions reductions across all sectors”, which are necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Johnny White, one of ClientEarth’s lawyers, added: “While climate experts warn we need to reduce air traffic to keep a just and liveable world within reach, KLM and the airline industry are continuing to focus on growth at any cost and lobbying intensively against climate regulation.
“It’s now or never for climate action. Airlines cannot be allowed to compete for business on claims that they are tackling the climate crisis, when the reality is they are fuelling it.”
KLM’s Fly Responsibly campaign also includes the option for customers to buy carbon offsets, but the environmental groups argue these products “will do nothing to limit the damage the airline industry causes to the climate”.
Fossielvrij NL added that it intended to file its claim against KLM with the District Court of Amsterdam “following the airline’s response”.
A KLM spokesperson confirmed to BTN Europe that the company had received the letter from the environmental groups and “will study its content”.