What should companies consider as regulation on environmental claims tightens?

09.06.2026

The use of misleading environmental claims, also termed “green claims”, will be addressed more rigorously as the new Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (the so-called EmpCo Directive, EU 2024/825) becomes applicable across the EU as of 27 September 2026. The directive aims to improve the information available to consumers regarding the environmental impacts of products, while also tackling greenwashing, that is, the use of false or unsubstantiated environmental and climate-related claims.

Why is regulation tightening?

Previously, companies have had a relatively high degree of flexibility in how they present and market environmental and climate-related claims regarding the performance of their products and operations. In practice, businesses have been able to communicate statements about low emissions or reduced environmental impact without always providing clear, verifiable substantiation.

For example, companies have been able to introduce their own sustainability labels or use broad, non-specific environmental claims in marketing without independent verification. This has led to a situation where consumers have found it difficult to assess the meaning, credibility, and comparability of such claims.

What and when?

The purpose of the EmpCo Directive is to improve consumers’ ability to make informed purchasing decisions and thereby promote the adoption of more sustainable consumption habits. The directive updates existing legislation by introducing new requirements for the presentation of environmental claims and the evidence required to substantiate them. In addition, it includes new provisions related to product reparability.

The EmpCo Directive was adopted in the EU in 2024, and its provisions will begin to apply from 27 September 2026. In Finland, these rules will be incorporated into consumer protection legislation.

Going forward, companies will need to exercise greater care in their sustainability communications and marketing. Although the regulation is currently primarily aimed at consumer markets, its implications will inevitably extend to the B2B interface, and it is likely that legislative requirements will expand to cover this area as well. Companies are therefore well advised to take a proactive approach. It is important to note that non-compliance with consumer protection legislation may lead to sanctions.

An “environmental claim” or "green claim" refers to any message communicated in a commercial context, in any form (e.g. textual, graphic, or symbolic), that suggests a product has a positive or less harmful impact on the environment, has no environmental impact at all, or that its environmental impact has improved over time.

Checklist – what to consider?

Clearly specify, as unambiguously as possible, which aspect of the product or service the environmental claim relates to
Avoid generic climate and environmental claims in marketing if they are not supported by substantiated, evidence-based justification (e.g. “environmentally friendly,” “green,” “eco-friendly”, “climate-friendly”, or “biodegradable”)
Avoid claims based on carbon offsetting
Do not use self-created sustainability labels in marketing. In the future, only labels based on recognised certification schemes, such as those compliant with the ISO 14024 standard (e.g. the Nordic Swan Ecolabel or the EU Ecolabel), will be permitted
Avoid providing partial or misleading information that exaggerates the environmental benefit of a product or creates a misleading impression of the overall sustainability of the company’s operations
Identify the most significant environmental impacts, for example through life cycle assessment, and communicate only those
Ensure that your claims are verified by an independent third party
Support corporate climate targets with a realistic and verifiable implementation plan that describes the actions and resources required to achieve the targets

How can Etteplan support meeting EmpCo requirements?

We support your company, for example, in setting science-based climate targets and in developing transition plans for climate change mitigation. We can provide the evidence-based data required under the EmpCo Directive to substantiate sustainability claims, leveraging our strong expertise in areas such as life cycle assessment and carbon footprint calculation. Climate and environmental claims must in the future be verified by an independent third party – we also offer this service.