European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA)’s Post

In 2025, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) stepped up its scrutiny of environmental claims made by carbon intensive industries, whose marketing plays a large role in shaping public understanding of the energy transition to net zero. It is also targeting sustainability more generally. These rulings show a purposeful shift towards requiring advertisers to provide full context, robust evidence and transparent explanations. https://lnkd.in/ekEN2TyS

Dentons: "The EU’s new greenwashing directive fundamentally changes the rules on environmental claims. Here is what businesses need to know before September 27, 2026." By Piotr Ciolkowski, Christian Schnell, PhD, and Mateusz Leźnicki #CEELegalMatters #Poland

This time, I’m publishing on the topic of greenwashing in CEE Legal Matters. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who haven’t had the time recently to read more about the topic. I’m glad this issue is finally becoming ‘trendy’, although I realize that this trend is primarily driven by the significant level of risk companies face in an area where many businesses genuinely still have a lot to improve.

🌱 Italy’s Legislative Decree no. 30/2026 introduces stricter rules on sustainability and environmental claims, significantly strengthening the framework against greenwashing and recognising sustainability as an essential product quality, with direct implications for business communications and consumer protection. In our recent article, Rome Senior Associate Giuseppe Salsarulo and Associate Enzo Maria Incutti analyse the key changes and their practical impact for businesses. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eTRpykwD #WFW #Sustainability #GreenClaims #ESG #EULaw

It's almost game over for greenwashing in Germany. Beginning September this year, advertising claims relating to environmental benefits – such as ‘climate-neutral’, ‘sustainable’, ‘eco’, ‘organic’ or ‘recyclable' – as well as environmental labels and sustainability seals, will be subject to regulation in Germany. In addition, the offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions which assert that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive environmental impact are deemed unfair. So no more "carbon-neutral" advertising if a company undertakes a carbon offset strategy. Finally, some positive regulatory action. The UK and Australia also have similar guidelines on greenwashing for some time now. Hope many other jurisdictions will also do the same, including ASEAN nations. sustainability greenwashing ESGright Sdn Bhd https://lnkd.in/gnWvmGgp

The era of vague sustainability claims is coming to an end. With new EU rules taking effect in September 2026, companies will face stricter scrutiny on environmental messaging — from banning unsubstantiated “green” claims to requiring clear, verifiable evidence. This is more than compliance. It is a shift towards credibility, transparency, and accountability in ESG. A timely reminder: if you can’t prove it, don’t claim it. #ESG #Sustainability #Greenwashing #ESGCompliance #CorporateGovernance #SustainableBusiness #ESGright

Green claims are no longer just a marketing exercise. They must now stand up to rapidly evolving EU regulations. The EU’s Greenwashing Directive is raising the bar for environmental marketing: vague "eco-friendly" buzzwords, unsupported carbon neutrality claims, and self-made sustainability labels are all heading into the regulatory danger zone. In short: if your green claim can’t survive scrutiny, it probably shouldn’t survive the draft folder either. In our latest article, Sofia and Konsta break down what the new rules mean for businesses in Finland and across the EU – and why legal, technical, and marketing teams should start talking now. Read the full article in the comments.

27 September 2026: the EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT) starts to apply. The ECGT amends two existing pieces of EU consumer legislation, the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive, to tackle greenwashing and other practices that undermine sustainability efforts. Key changes include: • Generic environmental claims such as "eco-friendly", "green", “biodegradable”, "climate neutral" etc. are prohibited unless they can be substantiated • Sustainability labels must be based on official certification schemes or established by public authorities • Product comparisons must be transparent, including disclosure of the methodology used As a Directive, the ECGT must be transposed into national law by each EU Member State. For businesses operating across multiple markets, compliance is not a single exercise; it is a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction question, with fines of up to 4% of annual turnover for non-compliance. What does this mean in practice? The ECGT applies to voluntary B2C communications, but its reach is wider than many businesses expect. The European Commission has confirmed that it covers any "act, omission, or communication directly connected with the promotion, sale or supply of a product to consumers." The volume of communications that may need review is significant. Mandatory reporting, such as CSRD disclosures, is generally excluded. However, if a company uses information from a sustainability report in voluntary advertising or marketing directed at consumers, that communication falls within scope. For organisations with large marketing and communications estates, this is not just a legal or sustainability exercise; it cuts across marketing, brand, procurement, and corporate communications teams. Canbury helps companies navigate these challenges with an end-to-end approach to identifying and applying relevant regulations systematically. We have built databases tracking global regulations, including greenwashing requirements, to identify relevant obligations. We also offer bespoke tools that flag risk assessments based on a number of different global regulations / guidance / principles. These outputs explain why something has been flagged as a greenwashing risk, and provides mitigation options if it can be reduced. If your team is looking to understand your exposure ahead of September, get in touch with John R. to find out more. For more detail on the directive, the European Commission has published a useful Q&A: https://lnkd.in/d_qh8Yh9 EC FAQ on the ECGT Directive #Greenwashing #ECGT #GreenTransition #Sustainability #ESG #ConsumerProtection #SustainabilityClaims #EURegulation 

The CMA's new powers aim to tackle greenwashing, ensuring businesses' environmental claims are accurate and substantiated. This aligns with Vertising's 'Triple-Win' ecosystem by promoting transparency and trust in marketing. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eyfjVASg #Vertising #TripleWin #Sustainability

The EU withdrew the Green Claims Directive. Most companies read that as good news: a reduction in pressure, and one less thing to worry about. It isn't. Without a harmonised framework, enforcement doesn't disappear: it fractures. Regulators are now pursuing greenwashing cases under existing consumer protection and unfair commercial practices law. In the UK, the CMA can impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover under the DMCC Act. Member States across the EU are already moving without waiting for dedicated legislation. The withdrawal didn't reduce the risk; it made it less predictable. Which is a different problem. And in some ways, a harder one. If your sustainability claims were built on the assumption that the Green Claims Directive would give you a clear compliance line; that line is gone. What you're left with is a judgement call. And judgement calls require your claims to be genuinely defensible, not just compliant with a framework that no longer exists. The shift that works: start with evidence. Build the claim from that. Then assess whether it would hold up; not just to a checklist, but to scrutiny. Learn more --> mygreencomms.com #greenclaims #sustainability #ESG #sustainabilitycomms #greenwashing