KLM Accused of Greenwashing in Dutch Lawsuit

Dutch environmental campaigners Fossielvrij NL (FNL) have filed a lawsuit against KLM after the airline refused to stop advertising what FNL says are misleading claims about making flying sustainable. The filing of the suit, supported by environmental organisations ClientEarth and Reclame Fossielvrij, follows a pre-action letter which was delivered to KLM during its AGM last month. The lawsuit, filed at the District Court of Amsterdam, alleges KLM’s Fly Responsibly campaign breaches the Dutch implementation of the EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, by suggesting to customers that its flights will not worsen the climate emergency. The claim also says the marketing of KLM’s CO2ZERO offset product and the ‘Real Deal’ discount promoted in May 2022 are unlawful. Hiske Arts, FNL campaigner, said: “We warned that if KLM did not stop its misleading advertising, we would see them in court. KLM has instead stuck by the false message that it is on the path to more sustainable flying. There is no way it can do this while planning continuous air traffic growth that will fuel the breakdown of our climate”. KLM refutes FNL’s claim and denies it is responsible for greenwashing.  

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