EU bans 'fake environmentalist' image

The European Union (EU) is preparing to ban the labelling of a product or service as green in order to underline its environmental sensitivity without sufficient basis. The European Parliament (EP) announced that member states have reached an agreement on new rules to combat what is described as “greenwashing”, which is false information and misleading claims spread by a company to underline its environmental responsibility. Accordingly, the EU’s list of prohibited commercial practices will be updated. Misleading advertising regarding environmental claims will be banned. Various general environmental claims such as eco-friendly, natural, biodegradable, climate or environmentally friendly will not be able to be used without proper evidence. Sustainability labels that do not have approved certification schemes or are not created by public authorities will be banned. In addition, software updates that only improve functional features will not be offered as mandatory. Products will not be able to be sold as repairable when they are not. A study by the EU on greenwashing revealed that 53 percent of environmental claims made on products examined in member countries were vague, misleading or unsubstantiated, and 40 percent were unsubstantiated. The rules will come into force after official approval by the EP and member states.