Court rules Eurowings' advertising on carbon offsetting is misleading

A court in Dsseldorf has determined that German airline Eurowings misled passengers by suggesting that flights could be made "CO2-neutral" through carbon offset contributions. The airline promoted the option during online booking, offering passengers the chance to offset their flight's carbon emissions for a 9 (approximately $10) donation to what it described as "high-quality climate protection projects."

The court concluded that the advertising, which included the tagline "The future of CO2-neutral flying is just a click away," gave customers the impression that their travel was entirely climate-neutral. However, judges noted that air travel generates other environmentally harmful emissions beyond CO2, which many travelers do not consider.

Eurowings expressed regret over the court's decision and stated it would review the ruling in detail. The court highlighted that in everyday language, the terms "CO2-neutral" and "climate-neutral" are often understood interchangeably, potentially causing passengers to assume that all emissions from their flightsnot just CO2would be offset.

The case, initiated by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), had previously been dismissed by a regional court in Cologne but has now been partially upheld by the higher court in Dsseldorf.

Author: Sophia Brooks