Another Airline Hit With 'Greenwashing' Ban

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The UK watchdog has prohibited a Virgin Atlantic advertisement for making "misleading" assertions about the environmental benefits of sustainable Aviation fuels, intensifying its efforts to tackle "greenwashing" by airlines.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found that the airline's ad, which touted the first transatlantic flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuels, violated the regulator's guidelines. The sector praised the November flight, supported by the previous UK government, and powered by a blend that included waste cooking oil and other by-products, as a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions.
Virgin Atlantic had broadcast a radio ad promoting its "unique flight mission... to become the world's first commercial airline to fly transatlantic on 100% sustainable aviation fuel."
However, the ASA determined that the phrase "100% sustainable aviation fuel" misled listeners by suggesting that the fuel had zero carbon emissions and no environmental drawbacks.
This ruling is the first instance where the regulator has banned an ad for claims about sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), representing a setback for an industry counting on these fuels to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“It's crucial that claims about sustainable aviation fuel accurately reflect the reality, so consumers are not misled into believing their flights are greener than they actually are,” stated Miles Lockwood, the ASA's director of complaints and investigations.
While SAFs, which are often made from waste products, crops, or fats, produce significantly less carbon over their lifecycle compared to fossil fuels, they are not entirely emission-free.
The UK government asserts that using SAFs can cut emissions by up to 70% compared to the kerosene-type fuels used in most commercial flights. Virgin claimed that the net CO2 emissions from the transatlantic flight were approximately 64% lower than those of flights using traditional jet fuel.
Virgin Atlantic defended its advertisement, arguing that "100% sustainable aviation fuel" referred to the fuel mix in the aircraft engines, indicating it was fully powered by SAFs without any traditional jet fuel.“While we are disappointed with the ASA's decision in response to a small number of complaints, we remain dedicated to open, accurate, and transparent communication on the decarbonisation challenge.”
Over the past year, the ASA has issued numerous rulings on environmental claims as part of its crackdown on "greenwashing," or making something appear more eco-friendly than it is. These actions have included banning advertisements from several airlines, as well as carmakers and oil companies.
The ASA noted that consumers "were unlikely to understand the extent to which fuels labelled as sustainable aviation fuel still had negative environmental impacts, and in what ways."
In its ruling, the regulator instructed Virgin to ensure that future advertisements mentioning SAFs "included qualifying information that explained the environmental impact of the fuel."
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates was hit by a similar advertising campaign ban by the UK's advertising authority, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), due to claims of making exaggerated statements about the airline's achievements in sustainable aviation.
The ad campaign in question featured images of an Etihad Airways loyalty card with a plant sprouting from it, alongside claims that the airline was the "sustainable aviation" choice with a green and efficient fleet. The campaign aimed to emphasise the airline's commitment to sustainability, showcasing initiatives such as reducing single-use plastic cutlery as part of a louder, bolder approach towards environmental responsibility.
However, the ASA initiated an investigation into the campaign, expressing concerns that the claims made by Etihad have exaggerated the environmental benefits of flying, as depicted in the imagery used, which included plants, the Earth, and the title "Environmental airline of the Year 2022". The advertising authority took issue with the airline's use of the term "sustainable air travel", which has been a central focus of Etihad's recent branding and campaigns, led by its former CEO Tony Douglas (who left the airline to become the CEO of Saudi Arabia's new airline start-up, Riyadh Air).
According to UK marketing regulations, absolute environmental claims, such as "sustainable aviation", must be substantiated by a high level of evidence. The ASA, in its explanation, stated: "We noted steps were being taken by Etihad to reduce the environmental impact of its service. However, we understood that there were currently no initiatives or commercially viable technologies in operation within the aviation industry which would adequately substantiate an absolute green claim such as 'sustainable aviation' as we considered consumers would interpret it in this context." The ASA concluded that the claim made by Etihad exaggerated the impact that flying with the airline would have on the environment, breaching the advertising code.
Last year an ad campaign by Lufthansa claiming that its green initiatives were protecting the world was banned by the same UK advertising watchdog, which ruled it was misleading consumers over the environmental impact of flying. The ASA launched an investigation into the campaign – which featured a plane with an image of the Earth on its underside and the strapline:“Connecting the world. Protecting its future” – over concerns the German airline was giving consumers a“misleading impression of its environmental impact”.
Lufthansa said the tagline was“open to interpretation” and consumers would not see it as an“absolute promise” relating to the environment or that its aircraft did not cause harm author is an aviation analyst. Twitter handle: @AlexInAir

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