Lufthansa adverts banned for greenwashing, misleading travellers in landmark UK ruling

Green machine? Lufthansa has been found guilty of 'misleading' passengers in its marketing of green credentials. Photo / Nick Herasimenka, Unsplash

Europe’s second largest airline has landed in hot water over claims a national advertising watchdog has described as greenwashing.

Lufthansa has been asked to remove a recent ad campaign by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over a tagline it felt was misleading travellers.

The offending article was an advertising strapline reading: “CONNECTING THE WORLD. PROTECTING ITS FUTURE.”

Appearing in the UK in June 2022 online and on posters - the slogan was ruled to be stretching the airline’s green credentials.

An appeal by the airline said that there was a clear hyperlink to the website for their “Make Change Fly” campaign, outlining their efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of aviation.

This excuse did not fly with the ASA, and the appeal was overturned yesterday.

The offending adverts, used by Lufthansa in July 2022, were found to be misleading travellers. Photo / Supplied, ASA

The advertising body said it “understood that there were currently no environmental initiatives or commercially viable technologies in the aviation industry which would substantiate the absolute green claim.”

While the airline showed that it was making efforts to decarbonise its business - the airline was aware of the current “negative impact” of aviation on the environment, and could not claim to be “protecting” the planet.

Deutsche Lufthansa were found to have breached four rules on “misleading advertising” and “environmental claims”.

It appears that the case came about from a single complaint reported to the ASA.

No action was taken against the airline, but it was asked to “ensure that the basis of future environmental claims”.

There were no fines levelled against the advert but this is a groundbreaking case for airlines.

There have been previous rulings against carriers misleading passengers on their green credentials or making unsubstantiated claims.

In 2019 the ASA found Ryanair guilty of misleading advertising as “Europe’s Lowest Emissions Airline” because its claims could not be substantiated.

However this Lufthansa case sets precedent that carriers will no longer be able to claim they are “protecting” or a net good for the environment.

Last July environmental campaigners Fossielvrij NL, took the Netherlands’ national carrier KLM to court over potential “greenwashing” in its advertisments.

“KLM’s marketing misleads consumers into believing that its flights won’t worsen the climate emergency. But this is a myth,” campaigner Hiske Arts of Fossielvrij NL told CNBC.