KLM misled customers with green marketing campaign, court says

KLM misled consumers with several advertisements about its sustainability efforts, the court in Amsterdam ruled on Wednesday. The environmental organization Fossielvrij accused KLM of “greenwashing” by making consumers believe flying with the Dutch airline was sustainable, while its measures had only limited effect.

The court ruled in Fossielvrij’s favor. According to the court, some of KLM’s advertisements made “vague and general statements about environmental benefits,” thereby misleading consumers.

In other as, KLM “paints an overly rosy picture” of the effects of measures like using fuel made from renewable materials and reforestation. “These measures only marginally reduce the negative environmental aspects and give the wrong impression that flying with KLM is sustainable,” the court said. “KLM has, therefore, not provided consumers with honest and concrete information.”

The Dutch airline has already stopped running the ads and does not have to rectify them, the court said. “If KLM informs consumers about its ambitions in the area of CO2 reduction, for example, it must do so honestly and concretely.”

The court ruled against Fossielvrij’s requests to ban KLM from advertising flying at all. The airline also doesn’t have to actively warn consumers that flying is not sustainable.