SYDNEY, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Environmental advocates said on Wednesday that they have lodged a formal complaint against Qantas, accusing the Australian airline of making misleading net zero and sustainability claims.
Research and advocacy NGOs Climate Integrity and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) announced they have filed a complaint with consumer watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), asking for an investigation into the national carrier's climate claims.
The complaint targets the airline's claims that it is on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and that customers can balance out their environmental impact by paying an extra fee to fly carbon-neutral.
Climate Integrity and EDO accused Qantas of "greenwashing," the practice of making false or misleading claims that make a business appear more environmentally friendly than it is. The ACCC in March identified greenwashing and consumer issues in aviation as enforcement priorities.
"Qantas is a trusted household name in Australia, and it should not mislead customers and shareholders into thinking Qantas products and services are more sustainable than they really are," Climate Integrity Director Claire Snyder said in a statement.
Qantas, Australia's flag carrier and largest airline, reported producing 17.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from its global operations in 2024, the equivalent of four percent of Australia's total annual emissions.
The airline has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, but an analysis of its disclosures by Climate Integrity found it does not have a credible plan.
The advocacy groups cited a ruling by a Dutch court in March that national carrier KLM misled customers by exaggerating the impact of its own green claims.
Responding to the complaint, Qantas said in a statement that it has offered to work with Climate Integrity and has reached out to the ACCC.
"We have always acknowledged that aviation is a particularly hard-to-abate sector, but we have a responsibility to do what we can with what's available now," it said.
The Federal Court of Australia earlier in October approved a 120 million Australian dollar (80.3 million U.S. dollars) fine for Qantas from the ACCC for selling thousands of tickets for canceled flights. ■