Sustainability
Marketing Guide
How to make your green claims honest, authentic and effective.
The 'Green Claims Code'
The CMA’s Green Claims Code aims to dispel the green sheen that has, with its false labels and fluffy language, made it impossible to discern between genuine sustainability and misdirected assurances.
The Code outlines 6 key principles for communicating your green credentials
- Claims must be truthful and accurate
- Claims must be clear and unambiguous
- Claims must not omit or hide the important relevant information
- Comparisons must be fair and meaningful
- Claims must consider the full lifecycle of the product or service
- Claims must be substantiated
For many businesses, it’s been cheaper and easier to greenwash than to commit to genuine climate action. But now, with companies facing steep fines and harmful reputational damage, greenwashing may become a risk not worth taking.
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The Green Claims Code Checklist
Approaching green claims with confidence is difficult when the risk of a misstep is so high. So, to help businesses accurately promote these claims, the CMA also released a Green Claims Checklist. When communicating your green claims, make sure that:
- The claim is accurate and clear for all to understand
- There’s up-to-date, credible evidence to show that the green claim is true
- 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
- The claim doesn’t contain partially correct or incorrect aspects or conditions that apply
- 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
- If conditions (or caveats) apply to the claim, they’re clearly set out and can be understood by all
- The claim won’t mislead customers or other suppliers
- The claim doesn’t exaggerate its positive environmental impact, or contain anything untrue – whether clearly stated or implied
- Durability or disposability information is clearly explained and labelled
- The claim doesn’t miss out or hide information about the environmental impact that people need to make informed choices
- Information that really can’t fit into the claim can be easily accessed by customers in another way (QR code, website, etc.)
- Features or benefits that are necessary standard features or legal requirements of that product or service type, aren’t claimed as environmental benefits
- If a comparison is being used, the basis of it is fair and accurate, and is clear for all to understand