How does certification protect your brand against greenwashing?

What is greenwashing?

The term “greenwashing” refers to the gap between a company’s messaging and the reality of its actions. “It may take various forms, including text, an image, a graphic representation or a symbol such as a label, a brand, a company name or a product name, as part of commercial communication claiming that a product, a product category, a brand or a professional has a positive or neutral impact on the environment, is less harmful to the environment than other products, product categories, brands or professionals, or has improved its environmental impact over time.”¹

Why is it an issue?

Today, 40% of environmental and social claims are not supported by any evidence², and more than half of labels offer weak verification, or none at all. What is the regulatory framework for claims? In response to these practices, the European Union strengthened consumer protection against misleading green claims in 2024. The “Empowering Consumers” Directive sets out a strict framework: a ban on unsubstantiated claims, a requirement for independent verification for future claims, and stronger financial penalties. In September 2026, companies will be required to comply. From that date onwards, only labels based on transparent and robust requirements, and verified by an independent third party, will be permitted.

Learn more here: Ecocert | claim check

How does certification protect the brand?

➡️ A practical anti-greenwashing checklist

✅ Evidence that can be relied upon: A certification verified or issued by an accredited body such as Ecocert provides documented evidence. It directly meets the requirements of the EMPCO Directive, which now considers it a misleading commercial practice to make unsupported claims.

✅ Clear scope definition: It is essential to identify the product scope to which the certification applies. Some companies refer to certification across their entire offering when it covers only a few products. Communication about certified products must therefore be clear and precise.

✅ Auditing as a key step: What gives a label its value is an audit carried out by an independent third party, during which a set of criteria is assessed. This concrete evaluation process sets it apart from a simple self-declared label and helps ensure it falls outside the bans planned for 2026.

✅ Trust and transparency: Make sure the label displayed is truly based on verification by an independent body such as Ecocert. This strengthens your credibility in the market and helps build a lasting relationship of trust with your audiences.

In short, choosing a sustainability label that complies with the Empowering Consumers Directive is an effective way to provide tangible evidence to support your environmental and social claims. Choose a trusted label to provide reassurance and guarantees for consumers.