About 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from aviation, mainly from the combustion of petroleum-based fuels. To reduce their carbon footprint, airlines are investing heavily in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). However, online media outlet Fast Company reveals that critics accuse these airlines of resorting to greenwashing, making false ecological promises for marketing purposes to improve their public image.
In late November 2023, British airline Virgin Atlantic caused a sensation by flying the first transatlantic flight using fuel made from used cooking oil. However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s advertising self-regulatory body, banned Virgin Atlantic Airways from advertising on the subject, saying its sustainability claims were misleading.
According to the ASA, the advert did not give a full picture of the negative environmental consequences of the fuel used. “While we are disappointed that the ASA has ruled in favour of a small number of complaints, we remain committed, accurate and transparent about the challenge of decarbonisation,” a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic Airways, which is not the first company to be criticised on the subject of SAF, told specialist media Inside Climate News.
Growing pessimism
Made from materials such as vegetable fats and used cooking oils, most SAFs emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) than traditional fuels. However, their production remains limited and the costs are considerable, often two to three times higher than those of conventional fuels…
- Slate.fr
