You go on a plane, they ask you for a fee to compensate for the environment. Problem: Brussels opened an investigation into TAP (and not only) because of this (and not only)

At issue are ecological advertisements that are allegedly misleading

TAP is one of 20 aviation companies targeted in an investigation launched this Tuesday by the European Commission following reports of potentially misleading ecological advertisements. The complaints were made by consumer protection organizations.

The letters question airline announcements that CO2 emissions caused by a flight could be offset by climate projects or the use of sustainable fuels, to which consumers could contribute by paying additional fees, according to a statement of the community executive.

In this first phase of the investigation, those targeted are also called upon “to align their practices with EU legislation [União Europeia] in matters of consumer protection within 30 days”.

The consumer associations involved (including Deco) suspect that the ecological claims could be considered misleading actions/omissions and the airlines do not clarify whether they can be substantiated based on solid scientific evidence.

The European Commission and network of consumer protection authorities have identified several types of potentially misleading practices, including creating the incorrect impression that paying an additional fee to finance climate projects with a lower environmental impact or to support the use of alternative fuels for aviation can reduce or fully offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Other flaws highlighted are the use of the term “sustainable aviation fuels” without clear justification of the environmental impact of these fuels and also the terms ‘green’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘absolutely responsible’ or the use of other implicit ecological claims.

The European Consumer Organization (OEC) indicated, for its part, that the companies in question are, in addition to TAP, Air Baltic, Air Dolomiti, Air France, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Ryanair , SAS, SWISS, Volotea, Vueling, and Wizz Air.

OEC members denounced that claims such as that extra credit payments can ‘neutralize’ or ‘offset’ CO2 emissions are “factually incorrect” and that the companies involved deceive consumers when they charge more for their contribution to the development of sustainable fuels.