Capital Economy, Business and Finance
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints against a Virgin Atlantic radio advertisement which claimed it fuelled a trans-atlantic flight last year with “100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF). The flight was part of a UK government competition to support industry investment in SAF, which refines a blend of waste oils, animal fats and ethanol from corn to make fuel. The ruling stated that Virgin’s claim was misleading and omitted significant information about the environmental impact of the flight. Sensemaker readers will already know this. A day after the flight, Tortoise highlighted that despite the name, SAF is not that sustainable. Virgin Atlantic’s flight still emitted 220 tonnes of carbon dioxide by burning SAF, and the livestock utilised in the production cycle of SAF contribute to non-negligible levels of methane too. The airline’s defence that it was simply mirroring the Department of Transport’s wording didn’t cut it. The ASA has ruled that any future ads will need much more context – a win against greenwashing.
