Irish startup Tao Climate is stepping into the spotlight with a hemp-based, carbon-negative solution just as the European Commission moves to crack down on widespread greenwashing in the aviation sector.
Seventeen major European airlines are now under legal scrutiny by Brussels for allegedly misleading consumers with unsubstantiated environmental claims.
Backed by Google, Enterprise Ireland and the European Space Agency, Tao Climate aims to offer a credible solution. Its carbon measurement and removal platform was recently accepted onto the European Commission’s InvestEU investor platform, officially qualifying it as a verified decarbonization technology.
For airlines facing both reputational and regulatory risk, that designation could prove crucial.
“You can’t bluff Brussels anymore,” said Tao Climate CEO Gary Byrnes in a statement. “Airlines need data, transparency and actual carbon removal — not vague promises and token trees.”
Hempcrete Takes Centre Stage
Tao Climate’s core innovation lies in regenerative hemp farming, which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in durable construction materials, such as hempcrete.
Unlike symbolic offsets or tree-planting schemes, the process is fast, measurable and scientifically verifiable — aligned precisely with the EU’s new emphasis on environmental accountability.
From June 10–12, Tao Climate will present its technology at the Future Travel Experience EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing events in Dublin.
Airline and airport professionals will be able to see the company’s carbon removal platform in action and physically interact with a block of carbon-negative hempcrete.
Tech-Driven Transparency
The company’s climate tech push goes beyond materials. Tao Climate was recently accepted into the Startupbootcamp AIvolution Accelerator 2025, a program focused on scaling artificial intelligence and sustainability startups.
The accelerator will help the company refine its monitoring, reporting and verification platform, which uses AI, satellite data and blockchain to provide real-time CO₂ tracking and ensure carbon removal claims are fully auditable.
“This accelerator gives us an incredible platform to collaborate with aviation leaders and showcase how our technology turns carbon compliance into a competitive advantage,” said Felix Roick, Tao Climate COO in the press release.
From Risk to Opportunity
As Brussels tightens enforcement and consumer scrutiny rises, Tao Climate is pitching more than just compliance — it’s offering airlines a way to lead.
With scalable solutions, scientific credibility and a tangible product, the startup is turning sustainability into something passengers and regulators alike can see and touch.
With climate credibility now a legal requirement, Tao Climate’s message is clear: the era of greenwashing is over, and the future of flight is rooted in science, transparency and hemp.
