Icelandia fined over unsupported environmental advertising claims

Iceland’s Consumer Agency has fined travel company Icelandia 800,000 krónur for breaching marketing laws with claims that its operations, particularly its bus services, were carbon-neutral, sustainable and environmentally friendly, mbl.is reported.

The agency has also banned Icelandia from describing its operations as carbon-neutral or environmentally friendly. The ban is already in force.

The agency said Icelandia did not offset emissions from all its bus journeys, but only from some activities. It also found the company had not provided evidence that its vehicles were environmentally friendly, despite claims in its advertising. The agency said the claims were broad, unclear and unsupported, and could mislead consumers.

Icelandia told the agency that it aims to reduce emissions and offset some of them. The company said it has ISO 14007 certification for its environmental management system, holds a Gold environmental certification from VAKANUM, and buys certified carbon credits to offset emissions from Flybus services, day tours and special tours.