Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: In 2022-2024, easyJet is strategically engaged with EU and UK climate policy for aviation with positive positioning. easyJet pushed for increased ambition of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the ETS Monitoring and Reporting Regulation and EU sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate, but opposed a flight cap at Schiphol airport.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: easyJet supported increasing the ambition of the EU’s Fit for 55 package in its 2023 Annual Report, published in November 2023, calling for its scope to be extended to all flights departing the EU. EasyJet further supported this position in a May 2024 letter to the European Commissioner for Climate Action, accessed via freedom of information request. In a January 2024 joint statement, easyJet supported the EU’s 2050 net-zero emissions goal alongside European and global climate policy for aviation, while appearing to oppose additional national policies. easyJet also supported the European Green Deal in a June 2024 Joint Statement.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: In its 2023 Annual Report, published in November 2023, the company supported extending the EU ETS and UK ETS to all flights departing the respective regions, and opposed the exemption of feeder flights from the EU ETS. In a January 2024 joint statement, easyJet supported the removal of free EU ETS allowances and the ‘tightening of the ETS ceiling from 2024’. Furthermore, in a June 2024 consultation response, easyJet supported a full scope monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework for non-CO2 effects under the EU ETS that includes extra-EEA flights, asserting that an exclusion of such flights may breach EU law. easyJet also supported the inclusion of extra-EEA flights under the MRV framework in numerous joint letters sent to the EU Commission including in May 2024, and June 2024, accessed via freedom of information request.
EasyJet supported a Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) mandate for intra-EU and long-haul flights and supported national policy to promote further production and uptake of SAFs in a January 2024 joint statement. The company opposed previous attempts to weaken the policy by limiting it to intra-EEA scope in a July 2024 consultation response. EasyJet also appeared to support a UK SAF mandate on the condition of complementary incentives in a June 2023 UK consultation response, accessed via freedom of information request.
In its 2023 Annual Report, published in November 2023, easyJet supported taxes for flight passengers based on carbon emissions. EasyJet also advocated for a carbon tax for aviation in an April 2022 Dutch consultation response. In a January 2024 joint statement easyJet supported a strengthened Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and increased investment into EU rail to support a low-carbon modal shift from short-haul aviation to rail.
Positioning on Energy Transition: In its 2023 Annual Report, published in November 2023, easyJet advocated for the expanded use of green hydrogen in aviation and supported regulatory measures to incentivize green hydrogen. EasyJet also supported policies, funding and incentives to facilitate a transition to hydrogen-powered aviation in the Project Acorn Technical Report in July 2024 and the Hydrogen in Aviation Alliance report in March 2024. EasyJet supported the extension of ticket taxes and fuel taxes to extra-EEA flights and transfers, in a July 2024 consultation response.
More negatively, easyJet appeared to oppose multiple measures to transition the energy mix in 2022-24. easyJet CEO, Johan Lundgren appeared to oppose ticket taxes at the A4E Aviation Summit in March 2022, stating increasing ticket taxes “does nothing to decarbonise” aviation”. 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. Similarly, according to a July 2023 KLM press release, easyJet participated in a coalition of airlines that launched legal proceedings against the Dutch court’s approval of the flight cap at Schiphol airport.
Industry Association Governance: easyJet disclosed a list of industry association memberships in its 2023 Annual Report. However, easyJet has not published an audit of its alignment with its industry associations. easyJet is a member of Airlines for Europe (A4E), which has positive and negative engagement on climate policy for aviation. easyJet is also a member of Airlines UK which is positively engaged on the UK SAF mandate, while opposing the Air Passenger Duty tax.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2024.**