LONDON—Climate-change charity Possible has complained to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), raising objections to sustainability claims made by UK carriers British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic.
According to Possible, both airlines have widely communicated net-zero strategies in place, but BA’s emissions have increased year-on-year between 2016 and 2019, and Virgin has fallen short of its emissions targets. Possible believes passengers are being misled, because they may not have the expertise needed to make an informed choice.
The UK-based charity is bringing the action using an OECD complaint mechanism that allows individuals to complain to their National Contact Point (NCP)—in this case, the UK Department for Business and Trade—if they believe the OECD multinational enterprise guidelines have been breached. States adopting these guidelines, which promote responsible and sustainable corporate behavior, are obliged to implement them to the best of their ability.
“If the complaint is upheld, it would send a strong message to the airlines that their actions are unacceptable,” a Possible spokesperson said.
Possible is being advised on the case against the two airlines by UK law firm Leigh Day, which specializes in human rights and environmental claims, and barristers’ chambers 11KBW. Leigh Day solicitor Tom Short said communications from both companies suggest that “significant emissions reductions are being achieved,” while hiding “the true climate impact of flying.”
“The reality is that technologies for cleaner flight either don’t work, or don’t even exist yet,” Possible senior campaigner Alethea Warrington said. This contradicts various industry roadmaps, which specify a path to net zero by 2050.
One of Possible’s key complaints is that sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)—which have become an increasing focus for aviation sustainability—are based on hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) feedstocks that are limited and cannot be scaled. This limitation is acknowledged by the industry, and synthetic alternatives are being explored.
“We are committed to transparency, integrity and responsible business practices,” a BA spokesperson said, responding to the Possible complaint. The BA spokesperson acknowledged that there is an “urgent” need to mitigate the environmental impact of flying but noted that a portfolio of initiatives are under way, under the BA Better World program. This includes SAF investments, as well as support for hydrogen-powered aircraft and carbon-removal technology.
Likewise, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson pointed to the company’s government-approved and independently verified emissions reporting. Virgin has a net zero strategy, supported by interim targets, fleet-modernization and a 10% SAF-blend target by 2030.
“The UK government’s Jet Zero Strategy is clear that direct intervention to limit growth is not necessary to achieve net zero 2050,” the Virgin spokesperson said.
Virgin operated a test flight from London to New York on Nov. 28, powered by 100% SAF, but aviation climate activist Stay Grounded dismissed this as a “marketing gimmick.”
The OECD complaint is the latest in a series of formal greenwashing challenges from climate lobbyists, which have ranged from advertising standards complaints to legal action. One of the issues is that airlines continue to talk about their emissions efficiency, rather than their growing carbon footprint.
Patrick Edmond, MD of consultancy firm Altair Advisory, likened this to cutting calories at each meal—but then eating more meals each day. “It’s the equivalent of that,” Edmond said. “The emissions intensity of our planes is coming down—we have lots more planes though.”
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