If you want to do your bit for the environment, when you see advertising slogans like "eco-friendly" toilet paper, "carbon-neutral" flights, "biodegradable" plastic bags, and "won't break down in 10 years," would you be tempted to take a second look, or even spend a little more money to buy them?
It is difficult for consumers to distinguish between true environmental protection and "greenwashing". To prevent false advertising from misleading consumers, the European Union has reached an agreement to legislate to prevent the indiscriminate use of these keywords. It also rejected the practice of claiming that products are carbon neutral through "carbon offset".
To prevent greenwashing, companies will be banned from claiming their products are "environmentally friendly" starting in 2026.
In September, the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, which regulates the following:
* Vague and vague claims such as “environmentally friendly,” “natural,” “climate-neutral,” “biodegradable,” and “eco-” should not be used without credible environmental data.
*Cannot use the carbon reduction credits obtained from carbon offset programs to claim that their products are carbon neutral or low carbon
*Products must be approved by an approved certification program or public agency before they can use the sustainability label
* Do not urge replacement of parts when they are still usable, such as printer ink cartridges
*False repairability claims prohibited
To avoid false claims about product durability, the EU agreement also decided to add extended warranty labels to clearly show the service life of products such as washing machines or televisions, making it easier for consumers to choose durable products.
According to the European Parliament, as many as 60% of people in Europe are unaware that goods purchased in the EU have at least a two-year warranty. To address this, MEP Biljana Borzan said that once the new law comes into effect, stores and packaging will clearly indicate this.
Once an agreement is reached, the Council and the European Parliament will each need to vote on it to finalize the legislation. The Parliament will vote in November, and the new rules are expected to take effect in 2026.
Carbon offset mechanism faces challenges
Whether flying or manufacturing products, carbon emissions are inevitable. In recent years, voluntary carbon markets have emerged, allowing businesses to sell carbon reductions earned by others or regions. Businesses purchase these carbon offsets to offset their products' carbon emissions, allowing them to claim their products are carbon neutral or climate neutral.
Euractiv reported that Gilles Dufrasne, policy director of the climate think tank Carbon Market Watch, said the EU is sending a strong signal to the voluntary carbon market - "the era of carbon offsets is over."
Ursula Pachl, deputy director general of the European Consumers' Union (BEUC), pointed out that there is no such thing as "carbon-neutral" cheese, plastic bottles, flights, or bank accounts. These are all greenwashing, which makes companies think they are taking climate change seriously. In fact, these claims have no scientific basis and should not be used by companies.
References:
*European Parliament (September 19, 2023), EU to ban greenwashing and improve consumer information on product durability
*Euroactiv (September 20, 2023), EU reaches deal banning ‘climate-neutral’ product claims
*BEUC (September 20, 2023), Major EU law to ban carbon neutral claims and help consumers make sustainable choices
Source: Environmental Information Center
