A class action complaint was filed against Delta Air Lines on Tuesday, claiming the company falsely advertised itself as the “first carbon-neutral airline” in the world. The complaint filed in California federal court alleges the airline used fraudulent carbon offsets.
Carbon credits are purchased by businesses worldwide to offset carbon dioxide emissions by funding initiatives that promise to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or avoid pollution that would have otherwise occurred. However, suggestions that their benefits are overstated have recently put them in the spotlight.
According to the complaint, Delta is a major customer that has purchased credits from various projects, including wind and solar farms in India and a wetland in Indonesia.
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When asked for comment, the airline remained silent.
Mayanna Berrin, a resident of Glendale, California, has filed a lawsuit claiming to represent all Californians who have flown on Delta since March 2020. It claims that any gains from the offsets will be short-lived and would have occurred anyway. A carbon credit is only legitimate if it results in a positive outcome that would not have occurred without the credit.
Three years ago, Delta stated it would become carbon neutral, producing no more greenhouse gas emissions than it removed from the atmosphere. It may also need financial outlay to ensure its absorption in another setting.
According to Berrin, this allowed the company to increase its share of the market and its prices. Berrin, a writer for Nickelodeon, told The Associated Press that individuals her age, just on the cusp of their thirties, are particularly vulnerable to climate concerns.
A class action complaint was filed against Delta Air Lines on Tuesday, claiming the company falsely advertised itself as the “first carbon-neutral airline” in the world.
“I felt comfortable paying more because I was neutralising when I needed to travel for work or to see my family,” she explained. She claimed she was frustrated and sad that she had second thoughts regarding Delta’s adjustments.
“They can’t just claim neutrality if that’s not factually accurate,” she argued. “Lawsuits are scary, and there are probably a lot of people who share my frustrations but don’t realise they have rights or can make a difference if they speak up.” According to her lawyer, Jonathan Haderlein, it is one of only a handful of “greenwashing” claims in the United States based on consumer protection law and the first of its kind against a major American airline.
2:23-cv-04150 is the official case number.
The International Energy Agency estimates that by 2021, aviation will have contributed over 2% of global CO2 emissions.
According to FlightRadar24, which monitors GPS data beamed to satellites and receivers, Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has 672 flights in the air worldwide as of Tuesday morning.
Source – (AP)
