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Matt Cooper: O’Leary’s Ryanair knows it pays off to get onboard with ‘woke’ green agenda

The airline might be accused of greenwashing in its efforts to tackle climate change, but a new report shows it recognises that business could be hit by customers going elsewhere if they don’t take green issues seriously

Michael O’Leary: despite criticising Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, the Ryanair group chief is fully engaged with the airline’s climate transition plan. Picture: Getty

“We are committed to ensuring that our operations align with global efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.”

So reads an opening line in the lengthy Ryanair annual (sustainability) report that it released on July 21 alongside its annual (financial) report. The latter got all the media publicity because that’s where the information relevant to the share price and the airline’s performance is presumed to lie. But that’s not entirely correct. For many investors ...