Lawsuit Questions Use of Carbon Offsets to Substantiate Green Guides

Plaintiffs recently filed a class action lawsuit against Delta, alleging that the airline’s ​“carbon-neutral” claims, such as: ​“Carbon Neutral Since March 2020,” and ​“travel confidently knowing that we will offset the carbon emitted on your Delta flight,” are misleading because they are based on unreliable carbon offsets. The complaint does much more than challenge Delta’s specific claims, though. The plaintiffs claim that ​“nearly all offsets issued by the voluntary carbon market overpromise and underdeliver on their total carbon impact” and question whether such offsets can be used to substantiate a ​“carbon-neutral” claim.