Climate Lobbying Overview: In 2021-23, easyJet engaged on EU and UK climate policy for aviation with mixed but increasingly positive positioning. While easyJet has stated top-line support for UK and EU net-zero 2050 targets, and appears supportive of an extension of EU aviation climate policies to include international flights, it has opposed other climate-related taxes on aviation.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: easyJet stated support for European net-zero 2050 targets in its 2022 Annual Report. An easyJet September 2021 press release further appeared to support the goals of the Paris Agreement. In February 2022, a joint statement signed by easyJet, and comments from easyJet's CEO, Johan Lundgren, urged the EU to increase its climate ambition by expanding the scope of numerous key aviation climate policies to include long-haul flights. Support for expanding the EU’s Fit for 55 policies to all international flights was re-iterated in easyJet’s 2022 Annual Report, published in December 2022.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: easyJet appears to engage with EU climate policies in 2021-22 with mixed to positive positioning. In its 2021 Annual Report, alongside two press releases published in July 2021 and September 2021, easyJet appeared supportive of extending the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) to all international (EU to/from non-EU) flights. Similarly, in February 2022 easyJet signed a joint statement supporting expanding the scope of the EU ETS to include flights to non-EEA destinations, increasing the ambition of the policy. Furthermore, easyJet’s 2022 Annual Report, published in December 2022, expressed support for extending the EU ETS and UK ETS to all flights departing their respective regions, alongside opposing the exemption of feeder flights from the EU ETS. According to a June 2022 Politico report, easyJet commissioned a study highlighting the emissions reductions resulting from an extension to extra-EEA flights. However, at the Eurocontrol summit in November 2021, CEO Johan Lundgren, appeared to emphasize cost concerns with the EU ETS, while easyJet’s previous 2021 CDP response appeared to advocate against the inclusion of international (EU to/from non-EU) flights, while supporting the inclusion of intra-EU flights.

Regarding an EU Sustainable Aviation Fuels SAF mandate, in March 2021, easyJet signed a joint letter opposing the exclusion of long-haul flights in an EU SAF mandate. Furthermore, in February 2022 easyJet signed a joint statement supporting the EU's proposed SAF mandate, and advocating for more ambition in the "scale and timing" of its sub-targets for e-kerosene. In another joint statement signed in February 2022, easyJet advocated for a full scope SAF mandate including all departing EU flights. Similarly, easyJet’s 2022 Annual Report, published in December 2022, advocated for an extension of the EU and UK SAF mandates to all flights departing the EEA/UK. However, CEO Johan Lundgren, appeared to support e-fuel mandates while emphasizing cost and supply concerns around an EU SAF mandate at the November 2021 Eurocontrol summit.

easyJet appeared generally supportive of the EU Renewable Energy Directive in a January 2021 joint statement.

Positioning on Energy Transition: In 2021-23, easyJet appeared to engage with regulations to decarbonize aviation with mixed positioning. In a June 2021 public consultation response, easyJet appeared to support reduced UK domestic air passenger duty (APD) rates, while supporting increased long-haul rates. A March 2021 Reuters article further reported CEO Johan Lundgren’s support for a reduced APD. easyJet CEO, Johan Lundgren further appeared to oppose ticket taxes at the A4E Aviation Summit in March 2022, stating increasing ticket taxes “does nothing to decarbonise” aviation. Moreover, a July 2021 easyJet press release stated qualified support for an EU jet fuel tax, with the exception that it replaces ticket taxes in Europe and includes “a flight tax for long-haul flights that reflects their emissions”. Additionally, in interviews in September 2021 and November 2021, easyJet CEO, Johan Lundgren appeared to state support for an EU jet fuel tax with the exception that it replaced other national ticket taxes. More negatively however, a March 2023 Reuters article stated that easyJet was taking joint legal action to oppose the Dutch government's policy to reduce flights at Schiphol airport.

easyJet appears broadly supportive of the electrification and decarbonization of aviation in 2021 website communications and a December 2021 press release. Furthermore, a joint letter to EU policymakers in March 2021 urged them to “support the development of zero-emissions aircraft”. In it’s 2022 Annual Report, published in December 2022, easyJet further advocated for the expanded use of green hydrogen in aviation, supporting regulatory measures to incentivize green hydrogen, including through the UK and EU hydrogen strategies. However, easyJet’s CEO, Johan Lundgren appears to oppose policies promoting a modal shift from airline to rail, stating in a February 2022 Guardian article that “investment in rail infrastructure would mean you take the carbon hit now…and by the time they’d be ready you’d see new technology in aviation”. Similarly, in evidence submitted to a UK Parliamentary Committee, easyJet appeared unsupportive of ticket taxes and a modal shift to low-carbon forms of transport while supporting the expansion of green hydrogen.

Industry Association Governance: easyJet discloses a list of industry association memberships in their 2022 Annual Report. However, easyJet has not published a review of its industry association links to assess alignment with its own climate policy positions. easyJet is a member of Airlines for Europe (A4E), which has actively lobbied against ambitious EU climate policy for aviation.