FlixBus fined for greenwashing on Belgian website
Belgium's Federal Public Service Economy has won a case against German transport company FlixBus, ordering it to remove misleading environmental claims from its Belgian website. The ruling is being hailed as "an important victory in the fight against greenwashing".
An investigation as part of a Europe-wide probe found that FlixBus used terms such as "eco-friendly" and "climate-friendly" without substantiating these claims. The company also falsely advertised itself as "the most environmentally friendly mode of transport" and promoted the environmental benefits of FlixTrain, even though the service was not available in Belgium.
Refusal to co-operate
FlixBus was initially given the opportunity to amend its claims voluntarily but refused, leading to legal action in Germany. On 20 February, after several appeals, the German Federal Court of Justice ruled against FlixBus and ordered the company to remove the misleading claims.
"This ruling sets a clear legal precedent against misleading environmental claims"
"This ruling sets a clear legal precedent against misleading environmental claims and strengthens consumer protection," said Lien Meurisse, spokesperson for the FPS Economy.
Although Flixbus has already made some adjustments during the proceedings - such as abandoning its CO2 offsetting model - there are still ambiguous environmental claims on its Belgian website. Flixbus now needs to make further adjustments in order to comply with the legislation.
© BELGA PHOTO PAUL-HENRI VERLOOY
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