Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition: ban on vague/unsubstantiated environmental claims applies

What changes

Directive (EU) 2024/825 amends EU consumer-protection law (the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive) to ban generic environmental claims not backed by recognised excellent environmental performance (e.g. 'climate neutral', 'eco-friendly', 'green' used without substantiation), bans claims based purely on carbon-offsetting, and requires sustainability labels to come from a certification scheme or a public authority rather than being self-created. It also bans planned-obsolescence practices and requires clearer product durability/reparability information.

Who is affected

Any business making environmental or sustainability claims, or displaying sustainability labels, on products or in marketing aimed at EU consumers — most directly online retailers and manufacturers/importers of physical goods.

Sizes: micro, small, medium, large · Sectors: E-commerce, Retail, Manufacturing · Applies if: We sell online; We sell to consumers (B2C); We import goods into the EU

What to do

Audit product pages, packaging and marketing copy for generic green claims and either substantiate them against a recognised standard or remove them. Stop using offset-based 'carbon neutral' claims without the required disclosure. Check that any sustainability label used comes from a certification scheme or public authority, not a self-created label. Add durability/reparability information to product listings.

Penalty

Set nationally under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive enforcement framework, proportionate to turnover in the Member State concerned

Sources

• EUR-Lex – Directive (EU) 2024/825 (Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition), Art. 7 transposition/application dates (eur-lex.europa.eu)

Last verified 8 September 2026. Informational only, not legal advice.