London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

KLM faces court over 'greenwashing' adverts and offsetting scheme in first major challenge to aviation industry

KLM faces court over 'greenwashing' adverts and offsetting scheme in first major challenge to aviation industry

KLM's offset scheme "misleads" passengers into thinking they can fully "neutralise" the climate impact of their flight, which amounts to greenwashing, lawyers Client Earth and campaigners argue.

Dutch airline KLM is being hauled up in court over accusations its "misleading" advertising amounts to greenwashing, in what is believed to be the world's first such case for the aviation industry.

Environmental lawyers Client Earth will argue the airline's adverts and carbon offsetting scheme give a false impression of the sustainability of its flights and plans to tackle the pollution they cause. They claim this violates European consumer law.

Campaigners Fossielvrij NL, also bringing the lawsuit, today handed KLM a letter notifying them of the action at the airline's AGM in Paris.

"KLM's marketing misleads consumers into believing that its flights won't worsen the climate emergency," said Hiske Arts, campaigner at Fossielvrij NL. "But this is a myth."

Unless KLM agrees to cease what campaigners describe as greenwashing, a Dutch court will begin examining the case. Sky News has contacted KLM for comment.

The lawsuit is the latest in a flurry of global climate litigation as campaigners increasingly take to the courts to pursue their aims, with particular success in the Netherlands.

Client Earth lawyer Jonny White told Sky News climate litigation was increasing "because of the state of climate."

"The position is clear that we need to act urgently but that we are not," he said.

"This engages law in so many ways: corporate, governance, judicial reviews, so that's why we are seeing cases that respond to that legality."

Cases will continue to increase in future, he predicted.

Last year a Dutch court ordered oil giant Shell to drastically slash its emissions - a decision that Shell is appealing.

In 2019 the Netherlands' supreme court upheld a "landmark" ruling that the government would breach citizens' rights unless it cut emissions, inspiring similar legal action in other countries.

This is the first such case in the world against the aviation industry, according to the Sabin Center's Global Climate Change Litigation database.

KLM 'throwing sand in our eyes'


The KLM case has two strands. Client Earth claims the airline's Fly Responsibly campaign, which presents the airline as "creating a more sustainable future" and on track to reduce its emissions to net zero by 2050, is misleading.

The lawyers say KLM's plan to grow its flights is at odds with studies that warn the sector cannot align with net zero without limiting the overall number of flights.

The industry asserts it can increase passengers without increasing emissions, thanks to new technologies like sustainable fuels.

They are also targeting KLM's programme that encourages customers to buy carbon offsets - labelled 'CO2ZERO' - in order to "reduce your impact". Offsetting projects include reforestation projects or KLM's purchase of biofuels.

They argue the world cannot rely on offsetting and continue polluting, as offsets will not be infinitely abundant.

"Flight emissions cannot be 'compensated' if customers just pay extra to plant trees or give money towards the cost of false solutions like what the industry calls "sustainable aviation fuels". With these messages KLM continues to throw sand in our eyes," Arts added.

In April, the Dutch Advertising Code Committee (RCC) ruled that KLM was misleading its customers by giving them the impression that they can "neutralise" their flights through it offsetting schemes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×