German environment minister supports EU push to reign in false green claims

German environment and consumer protection minister Steffi Lemke (Green Party) supports the European Commission’s push to reign in false “greenwashing” claims by companies, she told Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung ahead of a meeting with state ministers. “With more and more advertising using terms such as 'climate neutral', 'eco' or 'emission-free', consumers are often deceived and downright misled,” said Lemke. Thus, effective rules against greenwashing were needed so that consumers can rely on these claims when they want to buy a sustainable product. Lemke welcomed the European Commission’s proposal for a directive on green claims, and expressed hope that state consumer protection ministers would throw their weight behind the push. Earlier this year, Lemke had told newspaper Zeit that there has been “a veritable flood of greenwashing for some time.”

The European Commission has proposed a set of detailed rules for companies to back up their green claims on products, ranging from “carbon-neutral” sunscreen to “biodegradable” plastic packaging. The proposal for a directive on greenwashing has the potential to make a difference by reducing the number of green claims, making them more specific and obliging companies to provide more information to consumers. It could make greenwashing a lot harder while highlighting companies which actually achieve real change. However, NGOs criticised that the initial proposal is “far from the real (green) deal”. The directive has yet to undergo the regular EU legislative process.