Brussels, 25 September 2024
Today, the European Commission is launching a public consultation on the draft proposal establishing the EU Flight Emissions Label (FEL), an initiative which aims to provide passengers with trustworthy and harmonised environmental information about flights. Once completed, this scheme would be available for voluntary use by airlines as from next year.
When booking flights online, passengers will be able to see standardised information on the carbon footprint of flights in the EU. While 80% of air passengers declare they would like to know how much CO2 is produced by the flights they take, only 5% of passengers declare having access to such information.
Currently, the lack of common methodology and criteria for estimating flight emissions leads airlines and ticket sellers to report emission levels using disparate methodologies which are not necessarily comparable. The Flight Emissions Label aims to change this by setting out a reliable and harmonised methodology for estimating flight emissions, considering factors like aircraft type, average passenger numbers and freight volume on board, as well as aviation fuel used.
As of 2025, airlines operating flights within the EU or departing from the EU will be able to voluntarily join this label. When booking flights online, a dedicated FEL logo will be displayed alongside the flight emissions data, helping passengers to make informed decisions and protect them from misleading greenwashing claims. Also, a dedicated webpage will be created allowing the public to compare emission levels from different airlines competing on the same route, as well as a ranking of those with the lowest emissions per route.
Commissioner for Climate Action and Transport, Wopke Hoekstra, said:
“Clear, verified information is fundamental to better inform our choices for travel. As passengers, the future EU Flight Emissions Label will make it easier for all of us to have verified information regarding the CO2 emissions linked to our flights before we purchase our tickets. It will also ensure a level playing field among airlines competing on the same routes, and reward those that choose to invest in cleaner fuels and more efficient operations by making this visible to passengers when they buy a ticket. The future label will therefore help incentivise airlines to improve their environmental performance, by renewing their fleet with more efficient aircraft and using more sustainable aviation fuels.”
The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will play a key role in implementing this regulation. EASA will be responsible for collecting all the information from airlines, verifying the submitted flight performance data and estimating the emissions in accordance with the EN ISO 14083:2023 standard.
The consultation will be open until 22 October 2024 to gather feedback on the Commission’s draft proposal and is available on the Have Your Say portal.
Source – EU Commission Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport