Companies that make claims to be environmentally friendly often face criticism when these claims are unsubstantiated or are not based on any actual carbon reduction measures – a phenomenon long known as greenwashing.
Now the EU is taking measures to tackle "unfair commercial practices that mislead consumers and prevent them from making sustainable consumption choices", according to the new directive. In this new endeavour terms like "climate neutral" or "climate positive" which rely on offsetting will no longer be allowed to advertise products in the EU from 2026.
Equally, terms like “environmentally friendly”, “natural”, “biodegradable”, “climate neutral” or “eco” will also be banned if they cannot be backed up by evidence. Instead, only sustainability labels that are certified by approved certification schemes will be allowed.