Advertising with sustainability – but do it right!

Businesses will soon need to be careful when using terms such as “climate-neutral” or “eco” in their advertising. Stricter rules have been in force since 27 September: blanket environmental claims or vague labels will no longer be permitted.

BY ANNE KIESERLING

In practice, this means: anyone advertising environmental benefits must, in future, ensure that these claims are precise, transparent and verifiable," explained lawyer Susanne Terhorst, Managing Director of the Koblenz Chamber of Skilled Crafts.

Vague terms such as "environmentally friendly", "eco", "green" or "climatefriendly" will no longer be permitted without appropriate evidence. This is due to changes in EU regulations.

THESE CLAIMS ARE RISKY

"Particularly problematic are general environmental claims that are not substantiated by recognised outstanding environmental performance, such as through a recognised Type I label or the EU Ecolabel," the expert noted. Statements that give the impression that an entire product or the whole business is sustainable, even though only a specific aspect is meant, are also prohibited.

Furthermore, claims such as "climate-neutral" or "CO₂-neutral" cannot simply be justified by greenhouse gas offsetting. Similarly, sustainability labels without certification or official recognition are prohibited, as are promises for the future such as "climate-neutral by 2030" if there is no verifiable plan to back them up. Advertising statutory minimum standards as a unique selling point, such as "We comply with the EnEV", is no longer permitted either.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY

"The safest approach is to move away from blanket buzzwords and towards specific details," advised the lawyer. "Instead of ‘sustainable’, it’s better to state exactly which measures you are actually implementing, which standard you meet and which document you use to prove it."

WHAT BUSINESSES SHOULD DO NOW

Photo: © Piotr Adamowicz/123RF.com

"Check all your advertising materials: website, social media, vehicles, leaflets, email signatures and quotation templates," advised Terhorst. "If these no longer comply with the requirements, you should reword your advertising claims using the examples listed below. And apply for any missing certificates and other relevant evidence."

Once these are available, they should be documented centrally. "It also makes sense to inform the whole team so that no unsubstantiated ‘green’ promises are made during customer meetings," recommended the expert.

EXAMPLES

The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) cites the following as examples of general, unspecific and therefore generally prohibited environmental claims: "environmentally friendly", "ecofriendly", "green", "nature-friendly", "ecological", "environmentally sound", "climate-friendly", "environmentally compatible", "CO₂-friendly", "energy-efficient", "biodegradable" and "bio-based".

According to the ZDH, it makes no difference in what form an environmental claim is made: text, images, graphic elements or symbols such as labels, brand names, company names or product names are all covered.

LEGAL BACKGROUND

The EU is taking action against greenwashing – that is, misleading advertising that claims environmental benefits – through the EmpCo Directive. EmpCo stands for "Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition". The aim is to enable consumers to make better-informed purchasing decisions based on environmental impact, durability and reparability.

Germany implemented the requirements in February 2026 by amending competition law (UWG) and consumer law. To this end, several prohibitions were added to the "blacklist" in the UWG. The rules have been in force since 27 September.

The author is a lawyer and editor at Verlagsanstalt Handwerk, the publisher of the LIFTjournal.