Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has adjusted its carbon emissions offset compensation scheme following an investigative action conducted by the Netherlands Authorities for Consumers and Markets (ACM). With the adjustments, passengers can now see the implemented three adjustments when booking with Ryanair online and are less likely to be misled about the airline's sustainability practices.

An investigation launched into Ryanair

The ACM started looking into Ryanair after it conducted a carbon emission compensation claims sweep across the Netherlands' aviation industry. One of its primary findings during this investigative sweep was that Ryanair had worded its claims in an alarmingly misleading manner. For example, the low-cost carrier used claims such as 'Fly greener to [destination],' and said that such claims could give passengers the impression that they would be flying significantly more sustainably with Ryanair.

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Under this possible false impression, passengers might be more attracted to flying with Ryanair compared to other airlines within the Netherlands, as they would believe that flying with the Irish low-cost carrier is genuinely more 'sustainable.' It might also cause passengers to feel that other airlines are not 'sustainable enough' or 'are not sustainable' since their claims would be worded differently from Ryanair's, resulting in unfair competition.

Confronting the budget carrier with these potentially misleading sustainability claims, the ACM emphasizes that carbon emission compensation claims must always be accurate, precise, and complete. Airlines should be adequately clear to passengers on how the carbon emissions are offset, how carbon emissions are compensated, and how all these are calculated. Most importantly, the ACM highlighted that the calculations must be independently certified.

Edwin van Houten, Director of ACM’s Consumer Department, explains:

“Businesses must be honest and clear about the sustainability claims they make. Even with carbon emission compensation schemes, flying remains a highly polluting way of traveling. Airlines may offer CO2 compensation schemes, but they cannot give the impression that CO2 compensation will make flying sustainable. We find it important that Ryanair has implemented changes to its website and clarified what CO2 compensation entails.”

Ryanair makes the necessary changes

When confronted, Ryanair subsequently cooperated with the authority and implemented a few changes to its website's claims to prevent future deceptive practices. The changes to the carbon emission compensation option in the online sales process for airline tickets include the following:

• Adding a clear message that carbon emission compensation does not make flying itself more sustainable. Messages such as ‘Fly greener to destination]’ has been changed to factual messages such as ‘compensate your estimated carbon emissions.’ In addition, icons such as green leaves have been removed.
• Displaying the calculation and amount of carbon emissions that are compensated.
• Providing additional clarity about the projects on which the carbon emissions compensation is spent and highlighting respective projects’ independent certification.

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Bottom line

Unfortunately, Ryanair isn't the only European carrier that has previously misled passengers with claims that they could fly guilt-free. Some of these airlines have since dropped the offsetting carbon scheme, claiming that it did not genuinely help to lower their carbon footprint, and have focused on other sustainability efforts instead, primarily shifting to the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

As Ryanair signed a deal with Shell late last year for the access of up to 120 million gallons of SAF between 2025 and 2030, perhaps the budget carrier might soon drop the offsetting carbon scheme as well.

• 

  Ryanair

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  FR/RYR

  Airline Type:

  Low-Cost Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Dublin Airport, London Stansted Airport, Milan Bergamo Airport

  Year Founded:

  1985

  Airline Group:

  Ryanair Group

  CEO:

  Eddie Wilson

  Country:

  Ireland