If you want to do your part for the environment, you can't help but see the advertising slogans on products such as "eco-friendly" toilet paper, "carbon-neutral" flights, "biodegradable" plastic bags, and "won't break down for ten years." Take a second look and maybe even spend a little more to buy it?
It is difficult for consumers to judge whether it is truly environmentally friendly or "greenwashing". In order to avoid misleading consumers with false advertising, the EU has reached an agreement to legislate that these keywords cannot be used indiscriminately, and has also rejected the use of "carbon offsets". The practice of claiming that a product is carbon neutral.
To avoid greenwashing, companies will be banned from claiming that their products are “environmentally friendly” starting from 2026.
The European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement in September on the "Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive" to regulate the following matters:
*Vague and vague claims such as “environmentally friendly”, “natural”, “climate-neutral”, “biodegradable” ( biodegradable), "eco-friendly" (eco-), etc.
*Cannot use the carbon reduction credits obtained from the carbon offset program to claim that its products are carbon neutral or low carbon
*Products must be approved by an approved certification scheme or public agency before they can use the sustainability label
*You cannot request replacement parts when the parts are still usable, such as printer ink cartridges
*False repairability claims prohibited
In order to avoid false claims about product durability, the EU agreement also decided to add a new extended warranty label to clearly show the service life of products such as washing machines or TVs, making it easier for consumers to choose durable products.
According to data from the European Parliament, up to 60% of people in Europe do not know that products purchased in the EU have at least a two-year warranty. In order to change the current situation, European Parliament member Biljana Borzan said that when the new law takes effect, stores and packaging will have clear markings.
After the agreement is reached, the Council and the European Parliament will need to vote separately to complete the legislation. Parliament will vote in November, and the new regulations are expected to be put on the road in 2026.
Carbon offset mechanism is under test
Whether flying or producing products, carbon emissions are inevitable. In recent years, voluntary carbon markets have emerged to sell the carbon reduction results of other people or other regions. Businesses purchase these carbon credits to offset the carbon emissions of their products and then claim that their products are carbon neutral or climate neutral.
"Euractiv" reported that Gilles Dufrasne, policy director of the climate think tank "Carbon Market Watch", said that the EU is sending a strong signal to the voluntary carbon market - "The era of carbon offsets is over." .
Ursula Pachl, deputy director-general of the European Consumers Union (BEUC), pointed out that there is no such thing as "carbon-neutral" cheese, plastic bottles, airplane flights or bank accounts. These are all greenwashing and make people lose money. I think companies are paying attention to the issue of climate change. In fact, these claims have no scientific basis and should not be used by businesses.
References:
*European Parliament (September 19, 2023), EU to ban greenwashing and improve consumer information on product durability
*Euroactiv (20 September 2023), EU reaches deal banning 'climate-neutral' product claims
*BEUC (20 September 2023), Major EU law to ban carbon neutral claims and help consumers make sustainable choices
Source: Environmental Information Center
