Advertising with promises of climate protection is considered good manners. But the green slogans are often fictional – now the commission is planning a law against greenwashing.
Everyone wants to be more environmentally friendly, fairer, greener and more sustainable. Because that is easy to write down somewhere, but often difficult to prove, people go crazy. Eco-shame flourishes. There are sea-friendly T-shirts, 100 percent recyclable packaging, CO2-neutral bananas and climate-neutral shipping. It all sounds great, but remains without evidence.
Vague and misleading, and without a plan
Studies, on the other hand, reveal how much of the grandiose environmental promises can be kept. According to a study by the European Commission in 2020, more than 53 percent of advertising information about climate friendliness was judged to be vague, misleading or unfounded. 40 percent of the statements were not proven. According to the Commission, the lack of common rules leads to greenwashing and creates an uneven playing field on the EU market. This puts really sustainable companies at a disadvantage.
This year, the London-based organization Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) together with management consultancy Oliver Wyman revealed that 49 percent of European companies have in principle climate protection plans based on the international Paris climate target of a maximum global warming of 1.5 degrees. However, less than five percent of companies can demonstrate how they intend to achieve and implement these goals.
Common criteria for greater clarity
Brussels now wants to put an end to the eco-shame. The European Commission is planning common criteria against misleading environmental statements. Green advertising slogans will only be allowed in the future if they can be scientifically substantiated. And have passed independent scrutiny. At the moment it is difficult to “separate truth from fiction,” said EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius.
230 different eco-labels in the EU
In addition, the proliferation of public and private eco-labels must be radically curbed. There are a total of 230 such logos in the EU. And numerous questionable certificates that should indicate an alleged environmental protection. Half of all green labels are difficult or impossible to verify. Commissioner Sinkevičius has already indicated that many of the seals are likely to disappear as a result of the new rules. According to Brussels, it is important that consumers can trust the information on the products.
The project is still in its infancy
Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) supports the initiative of the EU Commission: “What is green on it must also be green on the inside.” But it will probably be some time before that happens. As the project is still in its infancy, the plan must first be approved by the European Council and Parliament. And the negotiations have only just begun. However, the Commission will try to implement its proposal before next year’s EU elections.
There must also be a right to repair
Simultaneously with the bill against the eco smear, there was another bill for more consumer protection: the right to repair. Firstly, prices should fall and it should also become easier to repair goods instead of throwing them away. For certain appliances, such as washing machines or vacuum cleaners, there should be easy ways to fix them, even after the warranty has expired. The Commission emphasizes that goods that can generally be repaired but replaced generate 35 million tonnes of unnecessary waste every year.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
