The European Commission wants to dissuade businesses claiming their products are environmentally conscious when they aren’t. Photo: Shutterstock

The European Commission wants to dissuade businesses claiming their products are environmentally conscious when they aren’t. Photo: Shutterstock

To combat greenwashing in marketing for products sold in the EU, the European Commission on 22 March presented its proposal for a Green Claims Directive.

From T-shirts to detergents to sunscreens: more and more packaging features climate-conscious marketing, such as “made from recycled materials” or “CO2 compensated”. Appealing to the eco-conscious consumer, these labels do not always reflect the truth about their impact.

After a study in 2020 revealed that 53.3% of these environmental claims on products sold in the EU were misleading or vague, and 40% were unsubstantiated, the EU Commission has decided to crack down on this type of false advertising. 

The Green Claims Directive proposal aims to implement common rules for companies openly making green claims to attract customers, so as to prevent greenwashing practices and clear the field for truly sustainable businesses.

While existing claims regulated by the EU--like the organic food logo--are excluded of this proposal, any other voluntary claim would have to be verified independently and backed by scientific evidence if the proposal is adopted. “As part of the scientific analysis, companies will identify the environmental impacts that are actually relevant to their product, as well as identifying any possible trade-offs, to give a full and accurate picture,” the commission said in a .

To improve consumer trust, the proposal also aims to regulate the proliferation of environmental labels by forbidding new public labelling schemes--unless defined at the EU-level--as well as being stricter with private labelling schemes.

The European Consumer Organisation BEUC’s director general Monique Goyens in a press release commented on the proposal, saying that while it applauded the effort, “a future EU green claims law will only be as good as its enforcement.” Authorities should regularly check claims, publish their findings and sanction companies resorting to greenwashing.

“It is great that the Commission has heard the message. Authorities will have to heavily fine companies to clean up the market from misleading green claims and labels once and for all. It is also great news that consumer organisations will be able to bring collective complaints to court.”

The proposal will have to be approved by the European Parliament and council--representing the leaders of member states--to come into force.

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