From 27 September 2026, significantly stricter rules on environmental claims and sustainability advertising will apply across the EU.
With the EmpCo Directive (EU 2024/825), the European Union is taking targeted action against greenwashing and creating greater transparency for consumers. Companies that use terms such as „natural“, „environmentally friendly“, „sustainable“ or „climate-neutral“ in their advertising should now critically review their communications.
Why was the EmpCo policy introduced?
For many consumers, sustainability has long been a key purchasing criterion. At the same time, the number of general environmental claims has risen sharply in recent years. However, many of these claims were difficult to verify or lacked sufficient evidence.
The Directive „“Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition” (EmpCo) is intended to better protect consumers from misleading environmental claims and to ensure that environmental claims are transparent, comparable and verifiable. The Directive came into force on 26 March 2024, but will apply from 27 September 2026: to be applied on a mandatory basis.
Which statements are likely to be problematic in future?
General environmental terms, which have frequently been used on packaging, websites or marketing materials to date, are particularly affected. The following statements will, in future, generally be prohibited unless they are supported by recognised evidence:
- environmentally friendly
- ecological
- green
- climate-friendly
- biodegradable
- sustainable
- carbon-neutral
- climate-neutral
Such general environmental claims may only be used if recognised outstanding environmental performance can be demonstrated.
For businesses, this means moving away from vague advertising claims and towards specific and verifiable product information.
Sustainability labels are subject to stricter requirements
The use of sustainability and environmental labels will also be more strictly regulated in future. Labels may only be used if they are based on a recognised certification scheme or have been introduced by public authorities. Furthermore, the underlying criteria must be transparent and allow for independent verification. Proprietary symbols or designs that appear to be official sustainability labels without actually being certified are not permitted.
Climate neutrality: Offsetting alone is no longer enough
One particularly important aspect concerns claims of carbon neutrality.
In future, companies will no longer be permitted to advertise a product as „climate-neutral“ or „CO₂-neutral“ if this status is achieved solely through the purchase of emission allowances or offsetting measures. Such product-related claims will be expressly prohibited. Instead, the focus must be on actual emissions reductions throughout the value chain.
Promises for the future require a robust plan
Many companies communicate sustainability targets such as: „Climate-neutral by 2040„ or “We are reducing our emissions in a sustainable manner’. Such statements are, in principle, possible, but must be backed up by a detailed, realistic and verifiable implementation plan. Furthermore, measurable targets and regular audits by independent third parties are required.
Greater transparency in comparisons
Comparative environmental claims are also subject to stricter assessment. For example, anyone claiming that a product is more sustainable or more environmentally friendly than an alternative must ensure that the comparison:
- is carried out objectively,
- is based on the same methodology,
- is documented in a transparent manner and
- is based on comparable assumptions.
What does this mean for the cosmetics industry?
In the cosmetics industry in particular, terms such as „natural“, „sustainable“, „green“ and „environmentally friendly“ play a key role in product communication.
Companies should therefore check the following in good time:
- Packaging text
- Website content
- Product brochures
- Social media posts
- Advertisements and promotional materials
- Sustainability labels and icons
It is particularly important to replace general advertising claims with specific, verifiable information. Specific facts build trust whilst at the same time reducing legal risks.
At Cosphatec, sustainability claims are not unfounded marketing promises. Numerous raw materials and processes are underpinned by recognised standards, certifications and documented evidence. In this way, we create the transparency demanded by customers, consumers and, in future, the EmpCo guidelines. Rather than making sweeping ‘green’ claims, we focus on verifiable facts, measurable criteria and robust data. This enables formulators and brands to build their own sustainability communications on a reliable foundation.
After all, true sustainability does not require empty promises, but credible evidence.
Source:
Federal Environment Agency/03.26/Stronger protection against greenwashing enshrined in German law
