The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently seeking views on draft guidance for businesses about making “green claims”. The purpose of the guidance is to help businesses understand and comply with their existing obligations under UK consumer protection laws when making environmental claims about products or services. It sets out 6 principles that environmental claims should follow. The consultation of the draft guidance will run until 16 July 2021, with the final guidance expected to be published by the end of September 2021.

 

Food Labelling Services Comments:

The expressions “environmental claims” or “green claims” refer to the practice of suggesting or otherwise creating the impression that a product is environmentally friendly or is less damaging to the environment than competing products. This may be due to, for example, its composition, the way it has been manufactured or produced, the way it can be disposed of and the reduction in energy or pollution which can be expected from its use. When such claims are not true or it cannot be verified that they are true, this can be described as ‘greenwashing’.