Sorry Ryanair, there’s no such thing as a green airline

More promotion of the mythical virtues of a ‘low-carbon’ lifestyle, which is somehow supposed to be ‘environmentally friendly’. Of course in the real world the natural environment depends on carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, but who wants to hear that in these days of climate fearmongering?

The Irish airline has released a series of adverts flaunting its green credentials, but it’s still the EU’s tenth-biggest polluter.

The solution? Reducing demand, suggests Wired.

Of the European Union’s ten biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters, nine of them are coal-fired power plants. The tenth is Ryanair, the low-cost Irish airline which released 9.9 megatonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018 – a 6.9 per cent increase from 2017.

But Ryanair has its own spin on the data that contradicts the EU Transport & Environment group’s report. According to a series of TV, print and radio adverts promoting the airline, Ryanair should be the airline of choice for carbon-conscious flyers.

“Everybody knows that when you fly Ryanair you enjoy the lowest fares. But do you know you are travelling on the airline with Europe’s lowest emissions as well?” reads one advert, part of a series that has attracted more than 100 complaints to the UK advertising regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA is currently assessing whether to open an investigation into the adverts.

Ryanair isn’t the only airline flexing its environmental credentials. On October 10, British Airways announced it would offset carbon emissions for all domestic flights starting in 2020, a first step towards its eventual goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

EasyJet, too, says it’s reducing per passenger carbon emissions by investing in lighter seats and decreasing fuel consumption with better planes and engines.

But is there really such a thing as an environmentally-friendly airline, or is Ryanair just the latest to partake in a little self-indulgent greenwashing?

It all comes down to whether the airline industry can innovate its way out of climbing emissions, or if passengers will just have to accept that the only low-carbon flight is no flight at all.

Full article here.