Sustainable clothing, climate-friendly coffee – it is often difficult for citizens to understand how “green” goods really are. The EU could soon have stricter rules against false promises.
In the future, companies in the EU could have to prove that products marketed as climate-friendly actually are. The European Commission wants to introduce a law against so-called greenwashing, as can be seen from a draft available to the German Press Agency. This should enable consumers to see better whether a product is actually not harmful to the climate and the environment.
The reason for this is that, according to the Commission, consumers often do not have reliable information about the sustainability of products. With greenwashing, for example, companies market products as environmentally friendly when they may not be. According to a 2020 study by the EU Commission, more than half of the information on the climate friendliness of goods was vague, misleading or unfounded. At the same time, it is often difficult for companies to meet the different standards in EU countries, according to the draft.
justification requested
The Commission is now proposing that EU countries must ensure that climate-related claims are justified. The criteria for this should be based on scientific knowledge and international standards and be checked by independent third parties.
In addition, the entire life cycle of products should be taken into account – i.e. both climate-damaging emissions during production and possible pollution during use. Goods that contain carcinogenic or other dangerous substances should largely not be marketed as environmentally or climate-friendly. According to the draft, citizens could lodge a complaint if the rules were violated.
“It is high time that the European Commission put a stop to greenwashing in order to enable sustainable consumption,” Green MEP Anna Cavazzini commented on the draft. She would welcome it if really every green advertising promise was scientifically substantiated and checked by independent third parties.
The EU Commission plans to present the law in March together with other initiatives on the subject. Until then, the text is subject to change. Then the EU Parliament and the states would have to negotiate about it.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
