Guidance

The Green Claims Code checklist

Published 20 September 2021

Green claims (also known as environmental claims or eco-friendly claims) are claims that suggest that a product, service, brand or business provides a benefit, or is less harmful to the environment.

Typically, businesses use these claims when promoting or selling their products or services and they can be advertised in a range of ways.

Green claims are genuine when they properly describe the impact of a product, brand, business or service, with evidence to back it up.

Claims can be misleading if any information is untrue or hidden, if information is misrepresented or if it is taken out of context.

The Green Claims Code

Green claims checklist

When making green claims, businesses must comply with consumer protection law.

It is also essential to comply with any sector- or product-specific laws that apply to a product or service. Before making a green claim, businesses should understand how their product, brand or business has an impact – both positively and negatively – on the environment for its whole life cycle.

When making a green claim, a business should be able to answer ‘yes’ or agree to each of the following statements:

1. The claim is accurate and clear for all to understand

2. There’s up-to-date, credible evidence to show that the green claim is true

3. The claim clearly tells the whole story of a product or service; or relates to one part of the product or service without misleading people about the other parts or the overall impact on the environment

4. The claim doesn’t contain partially correct or incorrect aspects or conditions that apply

5. Where general claims (eco-friendly, green or sustainable for example) are being made, the claim reflects the whole life cycle of the brand, product, business or service and is justified by the evidence

6. If conditions (or caveats) apply to the claim, they’re clearly set out and can be understood by all

7. The claim won’t mislead customers or other suppliers

8. The claim doesn’t exaggerate its positive environmental impact, or contain anything untrue – whether clearly stated or implied

9. Durability or disposability information is clearly explained and labelled

10. The claim doesn’t miss out or hide information about the environmental impact that people need to make informed choices

11. Information that really can’t fit into the claim can be easily accessed by customers in another way (QR code, website, etc.)

12. Features or benefits that are necessary standard features or legal requirements of that product or service type, aren’t claimed as environmental benefits

13. If a comparison is being used, the basis of it is fair and accurate, and is clear for all to understand

Have you answered ‘no’, or couldn’t provide a clear answer, to any of these statements? See advice and further information.

Green claims full guidance

For further information on how to implement and use green claims responsibly, read the Green claims full guidance.

Advice and further information

If a business doesn’t comply with consumer protection law, the CMA and other bodies – such as Trading Standards Services or sector regulators – may bring court proceedings.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) can also take action for misleading green claims which appear in advertising.

If your claim is found to be in breach of consumer protection law you can be forced to make changes to your claim or make a payment of redress to any consumers that may have been harmed by the breach. It’s therefore recommended that you seek independent legal advice.

Find a legal adviser.

Please note: This document does not set out the CMA’s view of the law exhaustively and guidance from the CMA is not legal advice.

CMA’s green claims work

Keep up to date on the CMA’s work in this area:

• Case page
• Full Green claims guidance
• Consultation page
• Green claims campaign page