The UK Advertising Standards Authority has ruled Ryanair’s claims to be green as misleading.

Ryanair was sanctioned for misleading claims that it’s a green airline, whilst actually being the biggest aviation emitter in Europe. In a series of adverts in the press, TV and radio the airline claimed to be “low CO2” and “Europe’s… lowest emissions airline” but has now been Ryanair ordered to withdraw the claims about these green credentials.

According to Transport & Environment (T&E) the airline’s CO2 emissions actually increased by half in five years, putting it on the EU’s list of top 10 emitters.

T&E’s aviation manager, Jo Dardenne, said: “Ryanair should stop greenwashing and start doing something to tackle its sky-high emissions. This ruling is a reminder that the aviation sector’s climate impact is soaring because of a decades-long tax holiday and almost zero regulation of their pollution. European governments must without delay agree bilaterally to tax jet fuel until EU vice-president Timmermans secures the end of the tax exemption.”

The emissions of all flights departing from EU airports have grown from 1.4 per cent of total EU emissions in 1990 to 3.7 per cent today. If unmitigated, aviation emissions are expected to double or triple by 2050 and, in doing so, consume up to one-quarter of the global carbon budget under a 1.5C scenario.

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