Sustainable Communication 2025: Greenwashing and New Regulations

The Importance of Credible Sustainability Claims

To cut through the noise and connect authentically with eco-conscious audiences, brands must navigate the evolving landscape of sustainability communication with care and transparency, understanding all the challenges and best practices in this space. There are several factors you should consider to avoid mistakes.

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First of all, it’s important to understand that genuine sustainability is not a quick fix, but rather an all-encompassing transformation affecting every aspect of a business. We often describe this process as a ‘climate journey,’ comprising key steps such as:

• Measure: Conduct a comprehensive audit to understand the organization’s environmental footprint and identify areas for improvement.

• Reduce: Implement tangible measures to minimize emissions, waste, and resource consumption across operations.

• Compensate: Offset any remaining unavoidable emissions through verified carbon credits or other mechanisms.

• Communicate: Share the organization’s sustainability progress and achievements in a transparent and credible manner.

To build trust and avoid accusations of greenwashing, brands must communicate their sustainability journey in a way that is clear, measurable, and backed by robust evidence.

The EU’s Green Claims Directive: Cracking Down on Greenwashing

Recognising the need for greater transparency and accountability, the European Commission proposed a new law known as the Green Claims Directive in 2023. This landmark legislation aims to regulate the environmental claims made by businesses, ensuring that they are reliable, verifiable, and comparable across the EU. This will enable consumers to make well-informed decisions and protect them from greenwashing.

To achieve these goals, the directive will ban certain practices associated with greenwashing, such as displaying sustainability labels not based on a certification scheme or established by public authorities, or making generic environmental claims (e.g. “green”, “nature-friendly”, “energy-efficient”) that cannot be substantiated.

Embracing Transparency and Authenticity in Sustainability Communication

As the Green Claims Directive and other regulatory measures take effect, companies must re-evaluate their sustainability communication strategies to ensure they are fit for the future. Rather than relying on vague promises or unverified eco-labels, brands should focus on transparency, quantifiable progress, and a genuine commitment to sustainability.

This might involve clearly outlining the organisation’s sustainability goals, initiatives, and timelines, and providing detailed, audited data on key environmental metrics, such as emissions, waste, and resource consumption. Seeking third-party certification and labelling schemes that are widely recognised and trusted, and more generally, engaging stakeholders, employees, customers, and local communities in the sustainability journey, are also essential steps.

By adopting this approach, companies can build lasting trust and credibility, positioning themselves as authentic, purpose-driven leaders in the sustainable economy of 2025 and beyond. This commitment to transparency and authenticity will be crucial in maintaining consumer trust and driving meaningful change.

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