A Dutch court ruled on Wednesday (Mar 20) that KLM misled customers with an advertising campaign aimed at improving the company’s environmental image, in a case of so-called greenwashing.

The decision is an important symbolic victory for environmentalists who said the company’s “Fly Responsibly” campaign was misleading, given that all aviation is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions.

“A number of advertisements made by KLM in the past were misleading and therefore illegal,” the court said in a summary of the judge’s written decision.

However, the company will not be forced to issue any rectification, and it may continue to advertise to customers. In the future, the firm must be “honest and concrete” about environmental claims, the court said. Reuters