Green Claims & Compliance

Many UK businesses breathed a sigh of relief when the EU scrapped its Green Claims Directive in June 2025. That relief was premature. Green claims compliance in 2026 is more demanding — with the ECGT enforcing from 27 September 2026 and CMA direct fining powers already live.

Product-level 'carbon neutral' claims based on offsetting are banned in the EU from September 2026, and the ASA has been ruling against them in the UK for two years. If this phrase appears on your packaging or advertising, here's what you need to do.

There’s been a noticeable shift in how sustainability messaging is being received. Not all at once, and not everywhere, but gradually, across different audiences, the level of scrutiny is increasing. Statements that might have been accepted a few years ago are now being looked at more closely. Claims are being questioned. Language is being picked apart. And in some cases, challenged publicly. This isn’t just coming from one direction. Regulators are paying more attention. NGO

The CMA published new guidance in January 2026 making clear that UK businesses can be held liable for green claims made by their suppliers. Here's what changed and what you need to do.

The CMA published new supply chain green claims guidance in January 2026. Here is what it means for UK SMEs, what has changed on liability, and the six practical steps you need to take now.

Earth Day brings a surge of green content. Pledges, commitments, and sustainability highlights flood our feeds. Brands of all sizes take this moment to showcase their stance on environmental issues. But what happens after April 23rd? Most brands move on, but the posts remain. Every sustainability claim made during this time is still live, indexed, and linked to your brand. In a regulatory environment that is tightening faster than many communications teams realise, this is mo

A third of UK businesses are deliberately communicating less about their sustainability efforts, scared of being accused of greenwashing. The problem: silence has its own set of risks. Here’s what greenhushing actually costs, and what to do instead.

Impact has become one of the most overused and misunderstood words in sustainability communications. Everyone wants to show they’re making a difference. But here’s the catch: under pressure, many organisations end up saying more than they can prove or promising more than they can deliver. This isn’t usually about dishonesty. It’s often because they struggle to discuss progress, limitations, and intent in a way that still sounds confident. The Real Risk Isn’t Under-Claiming. I

1. Introduction: The High Stakes of “Going Green” In today’s market, the pressure on companies to demonstrate environmental responsibility has never been greater. Customers, investors, employees, and regulators are all paying closer attention to how organisations talk about sustainability. That pressure makes it tempting to reach for simple, appealing terms like “eco‑friendly,” “green,” or “sustainable” to describe products, services, or operations. While often well‑intention