Environmental Claims in Responsible Communication – What Can You Say in the Future?

The rules of responsible communication are changing. The EU Green Claims Directive is currently on hold, but regulation of sustainability communication will tighten already next year through a new consumer protection directive. Now is the right moment to review your company’s environmental claims and overall communication direction.

On 20 June 2025, the European Commission announced that it intends to withdraw its proposal for the so-called Green Claims Directive. The Commission referred to concerns about administrative burden, especially for SMEs, which the latest draft would have caused. As a result, the final negotiations planned for 23 June were cancelled only hours before they were supposed to start.

Later, a spokesperson of the Commission stated that the directive has not been officially withdrawn, even if the process is currently suspended. The situation remains unclear, and contradictory statements have created confusion among political decision-makers, companies and citizens.

However, the need for better control of environmental claims is real. According to EU studies, 53% of environmental claims made by companies are vague, and 40% have no supporting evidence at all. From a consumer perspective, it is practically impossible to make responsible and sustainable choices if the claims cannot be trusted.

Consumer Protection Is Being Updated

Whatever happens with the Green Claims Directive, organisations should continue on the path of transparent and honest communication. Trust from customers and partners is earned only by telling the truth. Verifying your own green and other marketing claims is the only sustainable route forward.

From next year, the new consumer protection directive will tighten the rules for environmental claims in B2C marketing. Its official name is Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and better information. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in March 2024. The directive must be implemented nationally by 27 March 2026, and the new rules must be applied at the latest from 27 September 2026.

Environmental Claims and the New Rules

According to the new directive, consumers must have the possibility to make decisions based on verified information. At the same time, the objective is to promote demand and supply of more sustainable products and services. In the future, consumers must not be misled about environmental or social characteristics of products, such as durability or recyclability.

One of the most concrete changes for sustainability communication is that companies will no longer be allowed to market their products with misleading or unsubstantiated expressions such as “environmentally friendly”, “green”, “sustainable”, “responsible”, “energy efficient”, “biodegradable” or “ecological”, unless these characteristics can be fully verified. In practice, all vague and unsupported environmental claims must be avoided.

Sustainability-related expressions can still be used if the company can demonstrate a recognised excellent level of environmental performance. It is also important to be precise: environmental claims cannot be presented as covering the whole product or the entire company if they concern only a specific part of the product or a certain business activity.

In addition to general expressions, also climate-related promises and targets may mislead consumers. In the future, companies should have a clear plan to reach their targets. For example, if a company states that it will be carbon neutral by 2030, the claim must be supported by a clear, realistic, objective and publicly available plan. The plan must also be verified by an independent expert.

The directive will also prohibit claims that are based on greenhouse gas offsetting. A company or product cannot be described as “climate neutral” or claimed to have “reduced environmental impact” if the claim is based on offsetting. In addition, claims of zero emissions will be on the prohibited list, and the use of sustainability and responsibility labels will become significantly stricter.

Checklist for Responsible Communication

From a company perspective, the new regulatory landscape may feel complex. This is also one reason why the Green Claims Directive has faced resistance. From a consumer perspective, however, the change is positive.

Clearer rules for sustainability communication are welcome. They make the playing field and competition more equal for everyone. Companies should therefore review their communication and possible environmental claims immediately and, if needed, seek support from sustainability communication experts.

Key points to remember:

• Avoid misleading expressions and environmental claims if you cannot prove them.

• Be precise: does the claim concern only a specific part of the product or activity, or the whole?

• Act transparently and communicate honestly also about shortcomings and areas for improvement.