Too many businesses taking undeserved credit in ‘green claims’
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told companies that they have until the start of 2022 to make sure environmental claims they make about their products comply with the law.
It made the announcement in September at the same time as it published a new Green Claims Code to help businesses understand how to communicate their green credentials while reducing the risk of misleading consumers.
The code focuses on six principles, based on existing consumer law. It says companies making green claims “must not omit or hide important information” and “must consider the full lifecycle of the product”.
CMA chief executive, Andrea Coscelli, said: “More people than ever are considering the environmental impact of a product before parting with their hard-earned money. We’re concerned that too many businesses are falsely taking credit for being green, while genuinely eco-friendly firms don’t get the recognition they deserve. Any business that fails to comply with the law risks damaging its reputation with customers and could face action from the CMA.”
