Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (green claims directive)

The European Commission has proposed a directive on the substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims with the intention of regulating how businesses may communicate about sustainability. It is anticipated to increase environmental protection and accelerate the EU's transition to a circular, clean, and climate-neutral economy.

Additionally, it will protect consumers and businesses from greenwashing and allow consumers to make informed purchasing decisions based on credible environmental claims and labels. Among the proposed directive's primary goals are ensuring that companies comply with minimum requirements for substantiation and communication when making voluntary green claims, establishing verification and enforcement processes to be carried out by independent and accredited verifiers, and mandating that greenhouse gas offsets be reported in a transparent manner. 

The proposed directive stipulates that any legally informed assessment used to make environmental claims must be based on established scientific evidence and technical expertise. It also requires the significance of impacts, aspects, and performance from a life-cycle perspective, taking into consideration all significant aspects and impacts when assessing performance, and demonstrating whether the claim is accurate for the entire product or only for specific components.