What is the green Claims Directive proposal?
The Green claims Directive proposal recently announced on March 22, will require companies to substantiate claims they make about environmental aspects or performance of their products and organisations using robust, science based and verifiable methods. This will aim to implement strict measures that businesses must follow to make environmental claims about their commercial practices, products and the ecolabels they use. This has come after research studies found that 53.3% of environmental claims made across the EU provided vague, misleading or unfounded information about the environmental characteristics of products across a wide range of product categories. Government is beginning to put the barriers in place to prevent this proliferation of greenwashing claims that has left consumers frustrated.
When is the Green Claims Directive aimed to be implemented?
Starting in 2024, the Green Claims Directive will govern the use of environmental claims in marketing communications. The directive mandates that companies must offer clear and accurate information about the ecological impact of their products or services and prevents them from making unsupported or ambiguous environmental assertions. The legislative process is presently considering the proposal, which must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before becoming law. Following a start-up phase from 2024 to 2027, the directive is anticipated to go into effect in 2024 and be fully implemented. Member states will be in charge of enforcing the directive and enforcing penalties for non-compliance.
What does this mean for businesses?
Any companies looking to make claims about their product being more sustainable must be independently verified, and quantified using scientific evidence. We offer an expansive range of material testing as an independent material testing laboratory to provide industries with the evidence, proof and confidence needed to stay clear of greenwashing accusations but most importantly allow you to give your customers the highest quality product.
