Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are facing formal complaints over their sustainable flight claims, after being accused of misleading potential customers about the environmental credentials of aviation and so-called “sustainable aviation fuels” SAF. Virgin Atlantic flew a plane, as a commercial PR stunt, powered by allegedly low carbon fuel, consisting largely of “used” cooking oil. This was partly funded by the UK government. Now the climate charity Possible and the law firm Leigh Day have filed formal complaints against the airlines, over their claims about reducing emissions from flights by use of SAF in future. There cannot ever be enough genuinely low carbon fuels, that do not cause other environmental harms, for more than a few flights. The airlines are misleading consumers over their claims on reducing carbon emissions from flights, as lay-people do not have the expertise to discern the limits of decarbonisation technology. There are unsupported claims that some SAF can give up to 70% carbon savings. But when burned in a jet engine, SAF produces almost the same CO2 emissions as kerosene, which then stays in the atmosphere. It also produces contrails and other non-CO2 effects.
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Exclusive: Airlines accused of making misleading claims in same week as first transatlantic commercial biofuel flight
By Helena Horton, Environment reporter (The Guardian)
Thu 30 Nov 2023
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are facing formal complaints over their sustainable flight claims after being accused of misleading potential customers about the environmental credentials of aviation.
This week, a Virgin Atlantic plane took off on the first transatlantic flight by a commercial airliner fully powered by “sustainable” jet fuel, largely comprising cooking oil. The flight, partly funded by the UK government, flew to great fanfare from airlines and ministers as a potentially guilt-free way to fly. However, scientists and environmental groups are more sceptical.
The climate charity Possible and the law firm Leigh Day have filed formal complaints against the two major airlines over their claims about reducing emissions from flights.
The senior campaigner at Possible, Alethea Warrington, said: “The reality is that technologies for cleaner flight either don’t work, or don’t even exist yet. We think that airlines’ misleading claims about their emissions are unfair on people who want to do the right thing when they travel. It’s time for airlines to start being honest about their sky-high emissions.”
Airlines claim they can use biofuels made from crops or green hydrogen made from renewable energy, but recent research from the Royal Society has found the UK would have to devote half its farmland or more than double its total renewable electricity supply to make enough aviation fuel to meet its ambitions for net zero flying.
The filing highlights that BA claims to be “driving urgent action towards net-zero emissions” and that it says it has a “clear roadmap to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050”. However, analysis has found BA’s emissions from jet fuel have increased year-on-year between 2016 and 2019.
Virgin Atlantic features its “mission to net zero” on its promotional materials but fails to mention it is falling short of its emissions targets, which Possible has argued is crucial information for consumers.
The charity also points out scientific literature comparing the lifecycle emissions from biofuels with conventional jet fuel, “which is clear that these fuels may produce even more emissions and be worse for the climate than kerosene”. Both feedstocks produce fuels with similar tailpipe emissions to kerosene, and the emissions reductions are claimed to be created at a systemic level.
“For fuels derived from biomass, land is not available to produce crops for biofuels in sufficient quantities to power aviation without causing hugely damaging deforestation, which increase emissions and makes biofuels just as bad for the climate as kerosene, if not worse,” the charity said.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “In 2019, we committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and, while there is no single solution to this challenge, as part of our BA Better World programme, we have a clear roadmap of initiatives to get there.
“In the short-term, this means improving our operational efficiency, investing in new, more fuel-efficient aircraft and progressively introducing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) with partnerships in the UK and US, while for the medium to longer term, we’re continuing to invest in the development of SAF – a critical path to decarbonise, and looking at how we can help with the growth of zero-emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft and carbon-removal technology.
“We were the first airline to report our carbon footprint more than two decades ago and were the first airline to voluntarily participate in the UK emissions trading scheme.”
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “At Virgin Atlantic, we are committed to achieving net zero 2050 and have set interim targets on our pathway to get there, including 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
“There are two levers for delivering in-sector carbon reductions in the short to medium term: the fleet we operate and fuel we burn. We already fly one of the youngest and most efficient fleets across the Atlantic. Beyond fleet renewals, SAF presents an immediate opportunity to deliver lifecycle carbon reductions of up to 70% and is something we have been pioneering for over 15 years.”
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30th November 2023
From Possible
The UK needs to reduce flying by 36% or we simply won’t reach our climate targets. At Possible we’re helping the UK cut back on flights by getting companies to offer staff more time off work for slower, greener travel and by campaigning for the government to implement policies to reduce air travel. But airline greenwash is slowing down progress to a zero carbon UK.
Airlines are misleading the public about their environmental credentials (also called “greenwashing”), downplaying the harm they’re causing to our climate, and pretending we can meet emissions targets without cutting back on flights. This makes it more difficult for people to make climate-informed travel decisions.
We need to show airlines that their greenwash won’t fly. So we’ve brought in the lawyers.
Today our lawyers have filed formal complaints against both British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic over their claims that they are reducing emissions from flights and the consequent harm to the climate, via increased efficiency, carbon offsets, and the use of alternative fuels. We have used a formal complaint process via the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which can be used against international businesses which make misleading claims about their climate impacts.
British Airways claims to be “driving urgent action towards net zero emissions” and said they have a “clear roadmap to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.” But, our analysis found that BA’s emissions from jet fuel have increased year-on-year between 2016 and 2019.
Similarly, Virgin Atlantic has a “Mission to Net Zero” plan that features prominently on its website and in its 2022 Annual Report, and fails to mention the airline previously falling short of its emissions targets. We believe this is crucial information for consumers to know.
The reality is that technologies for cleaner flight either don’t exist yet, or don’t work. We think that airlines’ misleading claims about their emissions are unfair on people who want to do the right thing when they travel.
People around the world are feeling the dangerous impacts of the climate crisis. But instead of taking real action to cut their emissions by cutting back on flights, airlines are making misleading claims about being able to fly greener.
Our complaint argues that it’s essential for airlines, who “communicate directly with customers and prospective customers about these issues, to be honest and accurate about what they can actually achieve to reduce emissions while continuing to fly,”
It’s time for airlines to start being honest about their sky-high emissions.
Do you agree?
Join Us In Asking Airline Bosses To End The Greenwash
https://www.wearepossible.org/latest-news/airline-greenwash-complaint
See earlier:
There is to be a transatlantic flight by Virgin Atlantic, which is claimed to be fuelled 100% by so called “sustainable” aviation fuels (SAF). It is a publicity stunt, to attempt to persuade government, and the flying public, that in future flying can be low carbon – allegedly “guilt free”. But there is never going to be enough genuinely low-carbon fuel for more than a tiny % of flights. Jet fuels produced by taking agricultural land are recognised as not acceptable. The only fuels that might justify the term “sustainable”, e-fuels, would have to be made from hydrogen, produced from surplus renewably generated electricity, combined with CO2 captured from the air, processed using renewably generated electricity. A huge amount of low carbon electricity would be needed to produce e-fuels, and that would far more effectively be used for terrestrial demand – heating, vehicles etc. When the fuel is burned in a jet engine, it produces CO2 in just the same way as kerosene. The industry claims SAF can reduce the emission of CO2 overall by (up to) 70% compared to kerosene, depending on the fuel and several variables. There is a real danger that the SAF hype being promoted by airlines and governments will reduce pressure for a reduction in flying, which is the only real way to cut aviation CO2. Read the new report by AEF, “Sustainable Aviation Fuels – Hope or Hype?”
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