A Delta passenger is suing the airline for claiming it is “carbon neutral,” saying the three-year-old pledge is greenwashing, relying on questionable carbon offsets that have no environmental benefit.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in California, alleges that Delta’s claim “The world’s first carbon-neutral airlineHoax. Greenwashing refers to a marketing role that makes it appear that a company or product is environmentally friendly, when it may not be.
The complaint alleges that instead of doing the hard work of reducing carbon emissions, Delta is largely buying up artificial carbon offsets, while continuing to charge travelers a premium price they believe they are paying for green travel.
The suit, which seeks class action status, is the first to challenge a US airline’s climate claims, according to plaintiff Jonathan Haderlin’s attorney.
“The climate crisis is, in many ways, a consumption crisis — it’s the supply chain and the decisions that everyone is making, and everyone is involved,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “As public awareness increases, consumers are trying to make informed decisions that try to mitigate their impact. Companies are trying to capitalize on that by saying it’s a green choice.”
He added, “If you think you’re flying the most environmentally friendly airline in the world, and you’re not, why isn’t it possible?”
Aviation is a major contributor to carbon pollution, accounting for more than 2% of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
Delta, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS MoneyWatch, said News agency The lawsuit was “without legal basis”.
“Since March 31, 2022, (Delta) has shifted its entire focus away from carbon offsets toward decarbonizing our operations, while focusing our efforts on investing in sustainable aviation fuel,” Delta spokesman Grant Myatt told the Associated Press.
the lawsuit It’s introduced on behalf of Glendale, California resident Mayanna Berrin, who works for Nickelodeon and is about to turn 30, according to the Associated Press. (Paramount Global, owner of CBS News, also owns Nickelodeon.)
Brin told the outlet that climate change is causing her and her generation great anxiety, and that she was devastated to learn that Delta’s climate claims, which made her relieved to pay more for the trip, could be lies.
“They can’t just claim impartiality if it’s not factually accurate,” she told the Associated Press.
The lawsuit alleges that “thousands” of travelers may have paid more for Delta flights because of the company’s climate stance.
Pollute now, make up later
Carbon offsets, which rely on paying for climate-beneficial activity such as reforestation to counter the carbon pollution a company creates, have emerged as a key part of many companies’ climate pledges. But a growing body of research has shown that compensation is dubious at best.
For example, the 2021 Delta Forest and Agriculture offset was approved by carbon offset vendor Vera, according to the complaint. However, an investigation by Watchman Earlier this year it concluded that more than 90% of the rainforest offsets in Fira have no climate benefit.
Most of Delta’s compensation paid for projects that would have happened anyway, without the airline’s investment, the suit asserts—which means it should not be seen as a true counterbalance to the airline’s carbon emissions. a Bloomberg investigation Last year it found that dozens of large companies – including Delta – relied on “junk” credits to make carbon neutrality claims.
Even when a carbon offset project is real, there is no guarantee that its carbon savings will be permanent: for example, there is no guarantee that a tree planted in 2021 won’t burn up in a forest fire two years later, releasing all the carbon. .
Because of these concerns, the suit claims that companies including JetBlue and Lyft stopped using carbon credits and moved toward reducing their emissions in other ways.
“The reality is that a lot of companies knew these offsets were questionable and didn’t buy them, they didn’t advertise them,” Haderlin said. “This case isn’t just about climate change, it’s about justice for consumers and it’s also about fairness in general in the marketplace.”
A handful of Lawsuits Over the past two years, environmental claims have targeted companies with Dutch airline KLM, French energy giant TotalEnergies and food company Danone It is being sued over claims of being “carbon neutral”.
US regulators are also looking to rein in greenwashing, as the Federal Trade Commission is in the midst of updating it. “green clues” That dictate the types of environmental marketing companies can engage in.
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