Vietjet Air faces new accusations of greenwashing in advertising. (Photo: VietJet)
Vietjet Air’s "Green Friday" campaign launched in Singapore recently has also drawn criticism. The campaign was accused of making misleading environmental claims and was subsequently ordered to be taken down.
This incident underscores the aviation industry's ongoing greenwashing challenges. In response, the EU plans to introduce flight carbon emissions labels in 2025, aiming to provide standardized and transparent emissions data.
Vietjet Air faces charges of greenwashing
The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) received complaints from the public regarding Vietjet's "Green Friday" promotional campaign launched in November 2024. The complaints questioned the airline's exaggerated environmental claims. After investigating the matter, ASAS confirmed that Vietjet had violated advertising regulations and ordered the ad to be removed.
Vietjet had used terms such as "eco-friendly" and “fuel-efficient” to describe its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, claiming a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and a 50% decrease in carbon emissions.
However, ASAS found these claims misleading, stating that the aircraft model mentioned was only a part of the overall fleet, and therefore, it could not guarantee that every flight would achieve the claimed reduction in emissions. Furthermore, ASAS argued that the phrase " eco-friendly" was too vague.
The airline also highlighted its efforts to reduce paper and ink usage by offering electronic tickets and online check-in services, claiming these digital services helped reduce environmental pressure. However, complainants pointed out that such digitalization practices were already common among many airlines, so Vietjet could not claim to be more sustainable than others.
Despite the ad being taken down, Vietjet had been promoting over 1 million "eco tickets" at a price as low as SGD 86 (USD 62) during the promotion.
The aviation industry is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. Companies like Delta Air, KLM, and Lufthansa have all faced scrutiny over misleading environmental claims. (Photo: iStock)
EU introduces carbon emissions labels
Vietjet's case is the second time the Singaporean regulatory body has ordered an ad to be taken down due to greenwashing. The first instance occurred in 2023, when PRISM+, a Singaporean brand of TVs and computer monitors, had to pull its air conditioner ad claiming its product could "save Earth."
The aviation industry is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize, and greenwashing allegations are common. Major airlines, including Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, and Qantas, have all faced scrutiny over misleading environmental claims. Vietjet itself had been called out for similar issues in 2020.
To reduce such greenwashing disputes and provide both the aviation industry and passengers with reliable and standardized greenhouse gas emissions calculations, the European Union is set to introduce flight carbon emissions labels.
Starting in February 2025, all flights departing from or within the EU could calculate emissions based on factors such as aircraft type, passengers, cargo load, and fuel usage. The first carbon emissions labels are expected to be issued by July 2025.
Source: Eco-business, Belga News Agency
