CMA launches investigation into misleading product claims
The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into products claiming green credentials. It’s to combat what seems to be widespread ‘greenwashing’ by brand owners unable to back up their sustainability claims with solid evidence. The CMA’s Chief Executive, Sarah Cardell said: “We’re concerned many shoppers are being misled and potentially even paying a premium for products that aren’t what they seem.”
As Judith Evans in her Financial Times article points out: “The clampdown echoes measures by the EU to combat greenwashing, including draft legislation that would require green claims to be backed up with evidence”. Incredibly she reveals that the European Commission has found over half of such claims to be misleading.
