Ilona Wissenbach and Charlotte Van Campenhout
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Air France, its Dutch unit KLM, Norway and several Lufthansa group airlines are among 20 airlines being investigated by the European Union for potential greenwashing, the companies said on Thursday.
The EU said airlines needed to make clear the extent to which claims to curb CO2 emissions from aircraft – whether by offsetting them with climate projects or using clean fuels – could be supported by strong scientific evidence.
Lufthansa Group airlines under investigation include Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti and Eurowings, the group said on Thursday, while an Air France-KLM spokesman confirmed the group was also involved in the investigation.
In response to a Reuters request, Norway said: “We have received the letter, we are now working to familiarize ourselves with the case materials and will respond to it within the prescribed time frame.”
Industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E) said in a statement that it recognizes the importance of clear sustainability messaging, but current rules in the EU “vary significantly between countries and are still evolving.”
It is unclear which other airlines are being investigated. The EU said it would not release names while the investigation was at a preliminary stage.
However, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC), which warned the EU about possible greenwashing, said it was targeting the following 17 airlines in its complaint: Air Baltic, Air Dolomiti, Air France, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Finnair, KLM , Lufthansa, Norwegian, Ryanair, SAS, SWISS, TAP, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air.
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TAP did not confirm it was part of the investigation when contacted by Reuters, but referred to a statement airline group A4E issued in response to the EU investigation.
Other carriers listed by BEUC did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Reuters is awaiting comment from other airlines.
It is unclear how well the BEUC list corresponds to the EU list, which includes three other airlines.