The court in Amsterdam has ruled that KLM misled consumers with various green claims in its advertisements. The judges ruled that the airline painted too positive a picture of the beneficial effects of, for example, forest projects and the use of more sustainable aircraft fuel. According to the verdict, such measures only minimally reduce the negative environmental aspects and wrongly give the impression that flying with KLM is sustainable.

KLM has since halted the relevant advertisements, so a rectification is not necessary according to the court. However, the company may continue to advertise flights, provided any claims about CO2 reduction are honest and concrete. The court has not mandated a general warning that current aviation is not sustainable.

The case was not about penalties or damages, but about a principled judgment of the court, a so-called declaration of law. The plaintiffs have been vindicated in this: the court deems various advertisements in which KLM suggested that flying could be sustainable, unlawful.

This also applies to claims about products for ‘CO2 compensation’. Advertisements suggesting that these products actually reduce, absorb, or compensate for a part of the climate impact of flying are misleading and unlawful according to the court. KLM thereby acts in violation of the law prohibiting unfair trading practices.

Hiske Arts of Fossielvrij NL calls the ruling an important victory in the fight against greenwashing. According to her, the court could not have been clearer. She emphasizes that companies may not claim to be addressing dangerous climate change if they are actually contributing to the crisis. Arts describes KLM’s green marketing as an attempt to reassure the general public and politicians, which the court has now put a stop to.

The case on KLM’s greenwashing was brought by the Fossielvrij NL foundation, which was annoyed by the impression that KLM gave that you can fly without exacerbating the climate crisis.