EU plans law forcing companies to prove green claims are real

The European Union has drafted plans to require companies to back up green claims about their products with evidence, in a bid to fight greenwashing and
misleading advertisements, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The draft legal proposal by the European Commission aims to clamp down on companies promoting their products as “climate neutral” or “containing recycled materials” if such labels are not substantiated.
EU countries would have to ensure environmental claims are proven against a science-based methodology, such as a “product environmental footprint” framework that tracks environmental impacts across 16 categories including the air and climate change.
“By fighting greenwashing, the proposal will ensure a level playing field for businesses when marketing their greenness,” said the draft, which could still change before it is published.
The attempt to stamp out greenwashing comes after a Commission assessment of 150 claims about products’ environmental characteristics in 2020 found that most – 53% – provided “vague, misleading or unfounded information”.