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28th January 2021

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Defra helps companies build confidence in green claims

Yesterday, the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs published new Green Claims Guidance to help companies describe the environmental credentials of their products in a way that people find easier to understand.

The Guidance is designed to help buyers make more informed judgements, prevent misleading claims and encourage the development of greener products.

As people look to purchase more products promising less environmental impact they often have to face a confusing array of advertising labels. More products enter the market everyday and they tend to bring a new crop of environmental terms along with them - while recycling is well understood newer phrases like 'negative carbon footprint' can seem more confusing.

Research suggests that buyers find it difficult to know which products are better for the environment. At the same time, businesses faced with a crowded marketplace can find it difficult to communicate about genuine improvements they have made to their products.

Launching the Guidance, Environment Minister Lord Henley said:

"Sales of 'green' goods contribute billions of pounds towards the economy while helping to reduce our impact on the environment. If people are making the effort to buy green it is only right that we try to make the process as easy as possible. Our guide will make things easier for both business and consumer - helping restore public faith in environmental advertising and acting as a resource for companies developing more sustainable products."

Defra's new updated Guidance is informed by a suite of research and recommends that companies use clear language when making environmental claims. Findings indicated that while participants were familiar with a range of different terms, some phrases like 'energy efficient' were better understood than others such as 'carbon negative'.

Businesses are encouraged to follow three key 'steps' in order to build consumer confidence in the environmental attributes of their products:

* Ensure the content of the claim is relevant and reflects a genuine benefit to the environment
* Present the claim clearly and accurately
* Ensure the claim can be substantiated

The Guidance is designed as a proactive toolkit - using principles and practical examples to help businesses get their green claims right. It is an update to Defra's previous Green Claims - Practical Guidance (2003) and Green Claims Code (2000) reflecting changes in the market since that time. The Guidance went through public consultation in 2010 and is widely supported by industry as important to help provide clarity in the market.
www.coi.gsi.gov.uk

4th February 2011