European Commission’s Green Claims Initiative: Fighting Greenwashing to Empower Consumers

The European Commission has introduced a pivotal proposal targeting the rampant issue of "greenwashing"—where companies make misleading environmental claims about their products or services. This initiative seeks to create a trustworthy marketplace where consumers can confidently choose genuinely sustainable options.

The Challenge of Unreliable Green Claims

• Prevalence of Misleading Claims: Studies reveal that 53% of green claims are vague or unfounded, and 40% lack supporting evidence.
• Verification Gaps: Half of all green labels suffer from weak or no independent verification.
• Overabundance of Labels: The EU currently hosts 230 sustainability labels and 100 green energy labels, with inconsistent transparency standards.

Such fragmentation and lack of reliability undermine consumer trust and impede progress toward a circular and sustainable economy.

Key Objectives of the Green Claims Proposal

Launched in March 2023, the new Directive on Green Claims strives to:

• Make green claims reliable, comparable, and verifiable across the EU.
• Protect consumers from misleading environmental claims (greenwashing).
• Enable informed purchasing decisions that foster a circular green economy.
• Establish a level playing field for business competition based on environmental performance.

Core Measures to Ensure Credibility

The proposal mandates:

• Clear criteria for companies to substantiate environmental claims using robust, science-based, and verifiable methods.
• Independent and accredited verification of claims and labels to enhance transparency.
• Governance rules for environmental labeling schemes ensuring solidity and reliability.

It applies specifically to explicit, voluntary claims made by businesses about the environmental impact or performance of products or themselves that are not covered by existing EU rules.

Illustrative Examples of Green Claims Covered

• “Packaging made of 30% recycled plastic”
• “Company’s environmental footprint reduced by 20% since 2015”
• “CO₂ emissions linked to this product halved as compared to 2020”

Alignment with Broader EU Sustainability Policies

This Directive complements and advances several key initiatives within the European Green Deal framework, including:

• Circular Economy Action Plan
• Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (March 2022)
• Ecodesign for Sustainable Products
• Farm to Fork Strategy

Together, these aim to radically reduce the environmental footprint of EU consumption and drive the EU toward its climate neutrality goal by 2050. ## Established Environmental Labels and Schemes

The proposal leverages existing robust schemes to build trust and uniformity, such as:

• EU Ecolabel: Europe’s official voluntary label recognizing products with low environmental impact.
• EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme): Focused on improving environmental performance of companies.

What’s Next?

• The Directive on Green Claims proposal was adopted in March 2023 and is undergoing the legislative process.
• It will be accompanied by further consumer protection laws and sustainability measures.

For consumers and businesses alike, this move promises clearer, scientifically grounded environmental information, fostering genuine sustainability in Europe’s market.

Additional Resources

• European Commission Press Release on Green Claims Directive (March 2023)
• Factsheet on Green Claims
• EU Ecolabel Information

Stay informed on sustainable product standards and sector innovations by following the European Commission’s environment updates.

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