Making green claims

If members are considering making claims that their products and services are green the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has produced  advice for business about using green claims. The advice is  to help businesses to present the environmental credentials of their products accurately and appropriately, especially in advertising.

For example, the widely used phrase "environmentally friendly" is not a recognised term, and does not necessarily mean anything. Defra encourages businesses to make green claims in line with the detailed guidance it has produced about this. A useful starting point, which gives guidance on how to make valid green claims in the UK (and also explains the use of a range of symbols including the Green Dot and the Mobius loop), is Defra's Green Claims - Practical Guidance.

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, the SMMT and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers have published best practice principles for environmental claims in automotive marketing to consumers. The principles mean that environmental claims should be: specific, not mislead, be capable of substantiation, be transparent and follow a commone sense approach.

To view the principles click here.

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