T-shirts that are “sustainable,” detergent that is “eco-friendly”: consumers are increasingly faced with lightly policed, green-sounding catchphrases on products. Now European policymakers are proposing the world’s most ambitious rules against greenwashing, in a bid to get companies to prove their claims or abandon them altogether.
Under rules set to be finalized later this year, companies in the European Union would need to substantiate claims that might lead consumers to think that products are earth-friendly. If they fail to comply, they could face fines in the 27-nation economic bloc. Europe’s clout is big enough that its regulations often affect products sold far beyond its borders, including in the United States.
The proposed rules represent the latest and most far-reaching attempt to address greenwashing, the practice of exaggerating green-friendly bona fides to boost sales in an increasingly eco-conscious marketplace. Advocates say it is a growing problem in the effort to combat global warming, since it can leave consumers confused and opting for products or companies whose climate-conscious practices are more illusion than reality, while punishing ones bearing the cost of truly sustainable practices. An official E.U. analysis found that 53 percent of green claims made in the European marketplace were dubious.
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