Ryanair told to drop ads claiming it’s Europe’s greenest carrier

Britain’s advertising watchdog ordered Ryanair Holdings to stop showing “misleading” ads that claim the discounter is Europe’s lowest-emissions carrier. The Advertising Standards Authority found that TV, radio and newspaper promos made assertions regarding Ryanair’s carbon-emissions ranking that were unsubstantiated and based partly on old data, saying they must not appear again in their current form. Ryanair said it provided information to support its case and that the ads have provided a “hugely important message” for customers in 10 European countries. The company based its claims on its young, fuel-efficient fleet, and on having occupancy levels that are generally the highest in Europe. Airlines are facing increasing pressure over their CO2 record, with a sector that produced 2.4% of all human-induced emissions in 2018 set to become the single biggest producer by 2050 if other industries cut their output more quickly, according to some projections. Ryanair finds itself in the firing line because of a business model that has opened up hundreds of routes to mass travel. It hit back with its first environmentally focused advertising campaign in September. “Ryanair should stop green-washing and start doing something to tackle its sky-high emissions,” said Jo Dardenne, aviation manager at lobby group Transport & Environment.<br/>