Draft EU ‘green claims’ law overly focused on CO2 impact, critics say

(EurActiv, 14 Jan 2022) Upcoming EU labelling law aimed at helping consumers choose green products has come under fire for providing an incomplete picture of environmental impact by focusing too much on carbon emissions and ignoring other factors such as recyclability and toxicity.

The “Substantiating Green Claims Initiative”, which is expected to be published in March, will require companies to prove their environmental declarations against a standardised methodology.

Doing so, according to the European Commission, will help to prevent greenwashing, where products are falsely or exaggeratedly marketed as environmentally friendly.

At present there are more than 200 environmental labels in use in the EU of varying quality – requiring these claims to be substantiated will boost consumer confidence and promote companies that are striving for greater sustainability, the Commission argues.

“Companies making ‘green claims’ should substantiate these against a standard methodology to assess their impact on the environment,” says the European Green Deal, which forms the basis of the Commission’s environmental policy.

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EurActiv, 14 Jan 2022: Draft EU ‘green claims’ law overly focused on CO2 impact, critics say