In 2020, the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it was investigating the impact of “green” marketing on consumers. A recent analysis of websites, conducted alongside other global authorities, has shown that 40 percent of green claims made online could be misleading, the CMA said. The CMA is now seeking views on draft guidance for businesses about “green claims,” and is proposing six principles that environmental claims should follow. Environmental claims: must be truthful and accurate; must be clear and unambiguous; must not omit or hide important information; must only make fair and meaningful comparisons; must consider the full life cycle of the product; and finally, they must be substantiated with robust, credible and up-to-date evidence. The CMA is inviting views on its guidance from anyone who buys or sells products which claim to be eco-friendly. The consultation will run until July 16. Final guidance is expected to be published by the end of September. More information can be found on the CMA’s Misleading Environmental Claims webpage.

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