- Court rules against misleading advertising on cruise ships
The Regional Court of Hamburg has prohibited the cruise line operator Tui Cruises from using a specific form of climate-related advertising. The issue concerns the phrase "2050 Net-zero cruise operation" which was reportedly used in an older version of the website. The German Environmental Aid (DUH) filed the lawsuit (Case No. 315 O 9/24). The ruling is not yet final.
In the court's view, this climate-related statement is misleading because it is ambiguous, a court spokesman said. "In the court's opinion, the statement could be interpreted to mean that CO2 emissions will be completely avoided in the cruise operation by 2050, or that a balanced balance will be achieved through compensation measures."
Advertising with environmental references must meet high standards for accuracy, clarity, and clarity, the court emphasized. There is a "heightened need for information." Tui Cruises did not meet this requirement with a bundle of measures presented under the formulation on the website.
"Our graphic of the decarbonization plan (climate protection roadmap), which was the subject of the proceedings, has been adjusted accordingly for more than half a year," a Tui Cruises spokesman said in response to a request. "Regardless of today's ruling, we will continue to consistently implement our 'Sustainability Strategy 2030' and stick to our ambitious climate goals." The company said it would examine whether to appeal against the ruling.
The Federal Managing Director of DUH, Jürgen Resch, said that such advertising is often impermissible. "Today's ruling against Tui Cruises is a precedent for reviewing many advertising statements with which companies want to advertise that they will be particularly climate-friendly in a few years, although they are not nearly so now."
The ruling by the Regional Court of Hamburg underscores the importance of upholding justice in environmental advertising, as misleading statements about climate commitments can be deemed unacceptable. The court's decision emphasizes the need for advertisers like Tui Cruises to provide clear and accurate information to consumers.
