The European Commission suggests labeling flights’ carbon footprints

The European Commission announced the opening of public comment on a new proposed EU journey Emissions Label (FEL), an effort designed to tell travelers about the carbon footprint of their journey.

The European Commission announced the opening of public comment on a new proposed EU journey Emissions Label (FEL), an effort designed to tell travelers about the carbon footprint of their journey.

Aiming to decarbonize aircraft, the EU passed the RefeulEU aircraft rules last year, which include the FEL.

When making travel arrangements online, travelers will have access to uniform data on the carbon footprint of flights inside the European Union under this project. Only 5% of passengers stated they presently have access to this information, despite the Commission reporting that 80% of travelers said they would like to know how much CO2 is created by the flights they take.

Additionally, since airlines that do give emissions data frequently use diverse procedures and technology for measuring carbon, a large portion of the already available data is not standardized. Indeed, in recent months, a number of airlines have been prosecuted or accused of engaging in “greenwashing” due to their ambiguous or deceptive claims on emissions and environmental effect. When measuring flight emissions, the FEL offers a single, controlled technique. Aerial fuel consumption, average passenger and freight numbers, and aircraft type are all going to be part of the FEL.

Airlines who operate flights inside the EU or out of the EU will have the option to voluntarily join the FEL project as of 2025. A FEL emblem will appear next to the flight emissions data when customers book tickets online, protecting them against false emission claims and assisting them in making educated selections. Additionally, a website will be developed so that the general public may examine a list of the aircraft companies with the lowest emissions per route and compare the emission levels of several airlines that compete on the same route.