Defra updates green claims guide

2nd March 2011


Author

IEMA

New guidance on how companies can promote their environmental credentials without making misleading claims and falling foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have been published by Defra.

The guidance recommends that companies use clear language when making environmental claims. They are encouraged to follow three key steps to build consumer confidence in the environmental attributes of their products:

  • ensure the content of the claim is relevant and refl ects a genuine benefit to the environment;
  • present the claim clearly and accurately; and
  • ensure the claim can be substantiated.

The environment department claims the revised guidance will make it easier for businesses to substantiate green claims, as well as help restore public faith in environmental advertising and act as a resource for companies to help develop more sustainable products.

The guide was last amended in 2003. The decision to revise it further came after in increase in the number of complaints to the ASA about environmental claims in adverts.

ASA reported in 2008 that it received 561 complaints about 410 adverts in 2007, and that it had received 218 complaints about 160 adverts by the middle of 2008.

By contrast, there were only 117 complaints in 2006.

The authority says that a key requirement of advertising codes – the UK Code of Non-Broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) codes – is that advertisers should be able to substantiate the claims they make with sound evidence.

The new Defra guide aligns with the CAP and BCAP codes as well as ISO 14021, the international standard on self-declared environmental claims, the EU unfair commercial practices Directive (2005/29/EC), and the European Commission’s guidance on making and assessing environmental claims.

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

Facing the climate emergency challenge in local government

It’s well recognised that the public sector has the opportunity to work towards a national net-zero landscape that goes well beyond improving on its own performance; it can also influence through procurement and can direct through policy.

19th March 2024

Read more

Dr Julie Riggs issues a call to arms to tackle a modern-day human tragedy

15th March 2024

Read more

Disgraced environmental consultant Peter Lovebrother is another month nearer retirement…

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK’s new biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements could create 15,000 hectares of woodlands, heath, grasslands, and wetlands and absorb 650,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracker has found broad support for efforts to tackle climate change, although there are significant concerns that bills will rise.

13th March 2024

Read more

Multinational corporations are undermining their net-zero commitments with excessive air travel and no plans to reduce ‘the low hanging fruit’ of carbon footprints, a study by Transport & Environment has found.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s climate adaptation plans are ‘inadequate’ and falling ‘far short’ of what is required, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned today.

13th March 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close