London (AFP)
Advertisements by Irish airline Ryanair have been banned in the UK due to a misleading message about CO2 emissions, the sector regulator said on Wednesday.
The UK advertising regulator (ASA) said the low-cost carrier misled consumers in a September 2019 campaign in print, radio and television.
Ryanair presented itself as the company with the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe among the major airlines.
However, the ASA considered that it was difficult to define what a "large airline" was and that consumers could have the impression of contributing less to carbon emissions, which cannot be proven.
These "advertisements (...) must not appear again in their current forms", according to the regulator, who asks Ryanair to provide "the necessary evidence" to be able to make such promises on the environment .
In a statement, Ryanair said it was "disappointed and surprised" by the decision, and said it is the "greenest" air carrier in Europe.
According to his figures, he emits 66 grams of CO2 per passenger per kilometer, 25% less pollution than other large companies, he said.
"We have successfully deployed this advertising message in ten countries in Europe," said the group, which acknowledges "having made minor adjustments to the British market at the request of the competent authorities".
According to its website, Ryanair has committed to reducing its CO2 emissions to 60 grams by 2030 and says it is following the targets set by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) to lower them by 50% in 2050 compared to at the 2005 level.
The company was however ranked among the ten most polluting companies in Europe, according to figures from April 2019 published by the NGO Transport & Environment.
The British air sector, bringing together manufacturers and companies, promised Tuesday to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, thanks to less polluting aircraft projects and controversial compensation mechanisms, without convincing NGOs.
© 2020 AFP