Environmental claim
A statement or representation about an environmental attribute or effect.
Example
Text, imagery, labels and even presentation can contribute to the overall impression.
The catch
Evidence must support what an audience is likely to understand.
Related terms
Audit trail, Calibration, Carbon neutral, Climate positive, Conflict of interest, Contribution claim
In more depth
Environmental claim, explained.
A specific environmental claim is easier to defend than a broad one, because the evidence can match its scope. 'Packaging made with recycled plastic' can be checked against purchase records, while 'kind to the planet' has no natural limit. The EU acted on the gap after a European Commission study in 2020 found that 53% of environmental claims examined were vague, misleading or unfounded, and 40% were unsubstantiated.
Comparative claims need their reference stated, such as the previous design or the market average. Future claims need a plan behind them. Hold the evidence before the claim goes public, a principle called substantiation, and remember that broad wording can fall foul of EU rules on the generic environmental claim. Claims that outrun their evidence are the raw material of greenwashing.
In the journal