Global Guidance on Environmental Claims

WFA's Sustainable Marketing Community presents:

Global Guidance on Environmental Claims Playbook

This first-of-its-kind voluntary guidance covers how brands can make sure environmental claims featured in their marketing communications are credible for both consumers and regulators.

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Global Guidance on Environmental Claims Playbook

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The guidance has been developed in the context of WFA's Sustainable Marketing Community, a voluntary commitment by leading companies to use the power of marketing as a force for positive change both internally and with the consumers who buy their products and services.

It identifies six key principles that marketers need to follow to make sure they are seen as trustworthy and to avoid their brands being accused of greenwashing and aswers the following questions:

  • What are environmental claims?
  • What are misleading claims and why are they a problem?
  • What is the country-specific legislation and advertising standards?
  • What is copy advice and where to get it?
  • What are the global environmental principles based on international best practice?

WFA commissioned the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) and the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), with the support of environmental experts from the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), to help pull the guidance on sustainability claims together.

There was a peer review process from a number of advertising standards bodies from around the world with expertise on green claims, including bodies from Australia, Brazil, France, India, Sweden, Spain and the US.

The guidance was also reviewed by the corporate members of WFA's Sustainable Marketing Community, EACA and Voxcomm, the global groups which bring together advertising agencies. It therefore represents a consensus across the global industry and industry regulators of what the core elements are to ensuring trustworthy and meaningful environmental claims.

Case studies

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  1. CalciTrio Naturell food supplement (Hungary, TV & Print)
    1 Apr 2022

    CalciTrio Naturell food supplement (Hungary, TV & Print)

    WFA

    Even the brand name of CalciTrio Naturell food supplement came under scrutiny when Hungary’s regulator looked at its TV and print messages. The results are here.

    Read more about "CalciTrio Naturell food supplement (Hungary, TV & Print)"
  2. Inga (France, Facebook post and video)
    1 Apr 2022

    Inga (France, Facebook post and video)

    WFA

    Inga’s social media ads for its reusable paper towel products included a claim that it is a “zero waste” solution and "really good for the planet". Did the regulator believe it?

    Read more about "Inga (France, Facebook post and video)"
  3. EasyJet (France, Press Ad)
    1 Apr 2022

    EasyJet (France, Press Ad)

    WFA

    EasyJet’s claim in a French press ad that it doesn’t “teach lessons, we offset our emissions" and "From 2019 we are offsetting our carbon emissions from the fuel used on all our flights by supporting environmental projects” attracted a complaint. Find out if the message was in line with the country’s advertising standards here.

    Read more about "EasyJet (France, Press Ad)"

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