Simijanovic v. Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.

A class action complaint filed in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the operator of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) alleged that the airline made misleading claims regarding its sustainability and its CO2ZERO program, which allows fliers to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from flying, including through payments to reforestation programs. The complaint’s allegations included that KLM’s Climate Action Plan used targets to limit carbon emissions that were “outdated” and that the goal was “insufficient to curb dangerous global warming.” In addition, the complaint alleged that KLM made misleading claims about its use of “sustainable biojet fuel” and that the airline’s promotion of the CO2ZERO offset program was misleading because the airline “would still be required to engage in reforestation programs to meet CO2 reduction targets regardless of whether people purchased its carbon credits.” The complaint alleged that KLM flights cost more as a result of the false and misleading representations and omissions about environmental initiatives. The complaint asserted that the defendant’s conduct violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act and constituted fraud.