Press release | European consumers need a strong Green Claims Directive to deter false claims, but concerning and unverified reports suggest the proposal is in jeopardy. If policymakers do not reach an ambitious agreement, greenwashing will continue, say environmental groups ECOS, ClientEarth, Carbon Market Watch, and the European Environmental Bureau.
Press briefing | On 23 June, EU negotiators are slated to meet for the last time to finalise the proposed Green Claims Directive. What can we expect? What will make the directive environmentally ambitious? Find out in our briefing — or get in touch for more.
The European Parliament has voted in favour of a strong Green Claims Directive, confirming its stance before negotiations on the final text – and the EU elections. In its current state, this law would introduce a game-changing legal framework to eliminate greenwashing. However, regrettably, it could already be too late for the file to be finalised before the elections.
The new Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive will put the brakes on unchecked environmental claims in the EU and could usher in a new era for consumers, who may no longer be exposed to a barrage of greenwashing. But major gaps linked to enforcement and verification remain.
Labels claiming that plastic water bottles are ‘100% recycled’ and/or ‘100% recyclable’ can be misleading. A coalition of consumer rights, legal, and environmental organisations seek to put an end to the proliferation of such claims.
The EU’s Empowering Consumers Directive [1] will prohibit climate claims that are based on carbon offsetting – successfully achieving its goal of empowering consumers to make environmentally sound decisions. Until now, companies have been able to potentially mislead consumers with claims based only on offsetting. This legislation will be a significant measure against greenwashing.
The gold standard for climate targets, SBTi, falls short. It does not follow the latest science or UN recommendations on net zero. Together with 20+ NGOs, ECOS has urged SBTi to align with UN standards. Read the joint letter.
The Green Claims Directive aims to ensure that green marketing does not turn into greenwashing by providing rules on how to communicate and substantiate environmental claims to consumers. ECOS has produced a position paper supporting the directive, but also calling for the European Commission and co-legislators to include harmonised substantiation methods, ban claims based on offsetting or for products containing hazardous substances, and provide stricter requirements for claims of future environmental performance.
The ECOS Annual Conference 2023 focused on how we should communicate environmental information to ensure reliability and transparency. It offered exciting insights on combating greenwashing while breaking down the do's and don'ts of green claims.
Reducing carbon emissions has been defined as a central goal in the fight to tackle the effects of climate change. But “carbon neutral” claims that rely on carbon offsetting – a different practice – are misleading and can hinder actual progress, writes Elisa Martellucci in EURACTIV.
ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
