British Airways’ misleading climate claims need investigating, rules complaints body

Elements of BA’s website and media claims about its drive and progress towards carbon efficiency warrant further examination, says the UK National Contact Point (UK NCP) for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at the Department for International Trade, following a detailed complaint by Possible.

Represented by law firm Leigh Day, Possible told UK NCP that BA had breached the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises with allegedly misleading statements about its efforts to address the environmental impact of its business activities.

UK NCP agrees in its initial assessment that BA statements around reducing emissions and efficiency warrant further examination as potentially in breach of Chapter VI ‘Environment’ and Chapter VIII ‘Consumer Interests’ of the OECD Guidelines. UK NCP has assessed the statements against the OECD’s 2011 Guidelines where BA’s statements were made before June 2023, but against the newer 2023 Guidelines where BA’s statements remained online after that date.

The OECD Guidelines set out recommendations for multinational enterprises to comply with to enhance their contribution to sustainable development and to reduce and address adverse impacts on people , society and the planet.   The 2023 Guidelines introduced new provisions on climate change and other environmental concerns, aimed at bringing the Guidelines into alignment with the Paris Agreement.

UK NCP has offered to mediate between Possible and BA to deal with the potentially offending statements.

Reducing emissions

Possible questioned the accuracy of BA website statements that the airline has a longstanding history of managing and reducing its carbon emissions. That included broad claims from BA on the ‘Planet’ page of its website that “we care about the impact of every flight”, and that “we’re driving urgent action towards net zero emissions”. Possible argued that such claims are misleading and in breach of the OECD Guidelines. Possible also singled out as misleading BA’s prominent claim that “We have a long history of managing and reducing our carbon emissions and a clear roadmap to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

In its initial assessment, the UK NCP said some of the claims made by BA warrant further consideration by the watchdog as being potentially unsubstantiated and in breach of both the consumer protection and environmental provisions of the OECD Guidelines. In reaching this conclusion, the UK NCP had regard to information supplied by Possible on BA’s overall carbon emissions and the factual accuracy of the BA’s statements.

In its initial assessment the UK NCP has, however, declined to further investigate Possible’s complaints that BA's statements on carbon credits and its involvement in the CORSIA scheme, as well as on alternative fuels, are also misleading and in breach of the OECD Guidelines.

Efficiency

In the group’s complaint, Possible also said BA portrayed its purchase of new, more fuel-efficient aircraft in its 2020 Sustainability Report and various press statements as an environmental measure, when in fact the move was for commercial reasons.

It pointed to statements from BA that it had “invested in new aircraft which are up to 40% more fuel-efficient than those they replace” and “many of our older aircraft have been retired and we continue to take delivery of the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, such as the Airbus A350 that are up to 40% more fuel-efficient per seat than the aircraft they replace”. Possible argued that such statements are misleading because any efficiency gains will not counterbalance increased emissions from the growing demand for flights, and that in any event BA’s flights generate more emissions relative to other airlines.

UK NCP also ruled that BA’s claims on its overall environmental performance and efficiency warrant further consideration in relation to the consumer interest and environmental provisions of the OECD’s 2011 Guidelines.

Specific claims from Possible that BA’s past introduction of more fuel-efficient aircraft was in fact a COVID-linked costs saving measure rather than a genuine effort by BA to reduce emissions will not be further investigated by UK NCP.

A copy of the UK NCP’s initial assessment is expected to be published online on 16 March 2026.

Possible has welcomed the UK NCP’s invitation for mediation with BA on the statements for further consideration.

An initial assessment by UK NCP on a related complaint brought by Possible against Virgin Airlines in relation to its statements is expected to be published soon.

Alethea Warrington, Head of Aviation of Possible said:

“This decision by the investigation point at the Department for International Trade to take forward our complaint about misleading claims by British Airways reflects the reality that airlines are refusing to tell us the truth about whether they can actually tackle the emissions from their flights. The reality is that the aviation industry doesn’t have a solution to its huge and harmful impact on the climate, and rather than being honest about this they are trying to greenwash and mislead us into thinking they can tackle their emissions without measures to reduce flights by cutting back on excessive flying by the wealthiest few.”

Possible is represented by Leigh Day human rights team senior associate solicitor Tom Short, who said:

“The UK NCP’s decision to further investigate statements by British Airways on its supposed efficiency and “pathway to net zero” is a welcome step towards greater accountability for the airline’s contribution to climate change. This initial assessment by the UK NCP opens up a route to greater scrutiny of BA’s statements which our client, Possible, says are scientifically unsound and liable to mislead the public. Our client notes, however, that the UK NCP’s decision not to further investigate BA’s statements on sustainable alternative fuels is out of step with recent decisions from the Advertising Standards Authority showing that the airline industry’s statements on SAF can be misleading, and calls on the UK NCP to consider revisiting this as the investigation progresses.”