A proposed consumer class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges Delta Air Lines made "false and misleading" claims of being the world's first carbon-neutral airline while relying on invalid carbon offsets.
The lawsuit, filed by California resident Mayanna Berrin in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, said Delta premised its carbon neutrality on the purchase of carbon offsets from the voluntary carbon market, rather than achieving carbon neutrality through sustainable fuels and carbon removals as initially promised.
"Nearly all offsets issued by the voluntary carbon offset market overpromise and underdeliver on their total carbon impact due to endemic methodological errors and fraudulent accounting on behalf of offset vendors," Berrin's attorneys wrote in a complaint.
The voluntary carbon offset market is an arrangement of companies and nongovernmental organizations that facilitate investment in green programs such as anti-deforestation and renewable energy.
In exchange for their investment in these projects, companies receive carbon offsets in the form of credits that verify the amount of carbon that wasn't released because of the company's investments in offsets.
Persons:
Mayanna, Delta, —
Organizations:
Delta Air Lines, Air Lines, Central, Central District of, Delta
Locations:
California, U.S, Central District, Central District of California, India, Indonesian, Cambodian