Published: 01 November 2021

Environmental Claims: Transparent

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Green Claims Code provides six principles which must be complied with when making environmental claims.  These principles are in accordance with the requirements of consumer protection law. 

The third principle of the CMA’s Green Claims Code states that environmental claims must not omit or hide important information. 

  • What claims don’t say can also influence the decisions consumers make.
  • Businesses must make sure claims include the information consumers need to make an informed choice.
  • Claims should not just focus on the positive environmental aspects of a product, service, process, brand or business, where other aspects have a negative impact.
  • Where it is necessary to include important qualifying information about a claim, that information should be easily identifiable and clear.
  • To treat consumers fairly and make it less likely that they make misleading omissions, businesses could re-assess the forms of communication they use.
  • Claims must be kept up to date in accordance with changes to legislation, as well as technological and scientific developments.

Review and assess your environmental claims against the Green Claims Code now!  The CMA will carry out enforcement investigations from January 2022.

For further advice, companies can also consult the CTPA Guide to Environmental and Green Claims.

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