Scope
All businesses making consumer-facing environmental claims in the UK
UK · act
DMCC Act 2024 — CMA green-claims enforcement
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (consumer enforcement, from Apr 2025)
In forceApplies 2025-04-06
Penalties
CMA direct fines up to 10% of worldwide turnover
Last verified
2026-08-22
In plain language
What this law does
Gives the CMA power to fine companies up to 10% of global turnover for misleading green claims without court action, operationalising the Green Claims Code principles (truthful, clear, no omissions, fair comparisons, full lifecycle, substantiated).
Core obligations
Meet the six Green Claims Code principles for every environmental claim
Dictionary
Terms defined in this law
- Six Green Claims Code principlesCMA guidance (2021)
- Direct fining powerDMCC Act 2024 Sch.
- CAP Code Section 11ASA CAP Code 11
- Material omissionCPRs/DMCC
Claims
Claims connected to this source
- Carbon neutral product
- Carbon neutral company
- Net zero by 2050” (entity target)
- Climate positive / carbon negative
- Net zero flight” / “CO₂-neutral delivery
- Carbon-neutral event
- 50% lower CO₂ than conventional [product]
- 1.5°C-aligned” / “Paris-aligned
- Science-based targets validated
- Offset-free climate action
- We offset all our emissions
- Carbon insetting” (value-chain offsets)
- Removes CO₂ from the atmosphere” (carbon removal)
- Climate neutral by 2030” (near-term neutrality)
- 100% renewable energy
- Powered by renewable electricity
- Clean energy” / “green power
- Carbon-free data centres 24/7
- Zero-carbon electricity
- Recyclable
- 100% recyclable packaging
- Made with 50% recycled content
- Compostable
- Biodegradable
- Plastic-free
- Plastic-neutral
- Zero waste to landfill
- Circular by design
- Refillable — cuts packaging waste
- Paper-free office — saving trees
- Bioplastic” / “bio-based plastic
- Upcycled
- Closed-loop” production
- Free take-back programme — we recycle it
- Deforestation-free
- Sustainably sourced timber
- Sustainable palm oil
- Sustainably caught” seafood
- Nature positive
- Water-neutral” / “water positive
- Responsibly sourced cocoa/coffee
- Palm-oil-free
- Rainforest-friendly
- Nature-based solutions” (offsetting via NbS)
- GMO-free
- Ethically made
- Fairtrade” (mark) vs “fairly traded” (generic)
- Free from forced labour
- Living wage employer
- Child-labour-free
- Empowers women in our supply chain
- Fair living income for farmers
- Sweatshop-free
- Fair wages paid throughout our supply chain
- Diverse and inclusive employer
- Sustainability-linked loan — ambitious SPTs
- Green mortgage” / “green loan
- Sustainable company
- Eco-friendly” / “green” / “planet-friendly
- Climate leader” / “ESG leader
- B Corp certified
- Committed to sustainability
- Independently verified sustainability report
- Climate-conscious brand
- Purpose-driven company
- Net positive” (give-back framing)
- Climate Pledge / Race to Zero signatory
- Made from ocean-bound plastic
- Non-toxic
- Chemical-free
- Natural” / “all-natural
- Plant-based
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Microplastic-free
- PFC/PFAS-free
- Eco-designed
- Repairable” / “designed for repair
- Second-life batteries” / “battery repurposed
- Made to last” / “lifetime product
- Home compostable
- Sustainable fashion” / “sustainable clothing line
- Made from recycled plastic bottles” (rPET)
- Concentrated formula — 50% less packaging
- Low-emission steel” / “green steel
- Sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF) flight claims
- Net-zero building” / “net-zero home
- Regenerative agriculture” sourcing
- 100% sustainable cotton
- Conflict-free minerals
- Water-saving” / “uses 40% less water
- Low-carbon concrete
- Carbon-neutral shipping” / “emission-free delivery
- Eco-hotel” / “sustainable stay
- Green aluminium
- Climate-friendly meal” / “low-carbon menu item
- Product carbon-footprint label (e.g. “1.2 kg CO₂e”)
- Sustainably farmed salmon
- Carbon-neutral beef
- Deforestation-free cocoa” / “deforestation-free coffee
- 100% certified sustainable cocoa” (mass-balance)
- Direct trade coffee
- 100% sustainably sourced coffee by 2025” (target claim)
- Fully traceable to farm
- Carbon-neutral cup of coffee
- Ethically sourced coffee
- Shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee
- Regeneratively grown cocoa
- Child-labour remediation programme in every sourcing region
- Net-zero supermarket by 2040
- 100% responsibly sourced own-brand fish
- No palm oil in our own-brand products
- 100% cage-free eggs by 2025
- 30% less plastic packaging since 2019
- We’ve halved food waste (SDG 12.3)
- Local — supporting local farmers
- All packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025
- Sustainable own-brand range” (eco sub-brand)
- Responsibly farmed meat
- Conscious collection” / “eco edit” (named green range)
- Made with recycled fibres
- Circular fashion — bring back your old clothes
- Living wages across our supply chain by 2030
- Fully traceable — we publish our factory list
- Net-zero fashion by 2040
- Vegan leather
- No virgin plastic by 2030
- Waterless dyeing
- Zero-waste production” / “deadstock collection
- Halve our emissions by 2030, net zero by 2050
- We've cut net GHG emissions 24.5% vs our 2018 baseline
- 27.6% of key ingredients from farmers using regenerative agriculture
- 100% responsibly sourced green coffee by 2025
- We've reached over 835,000 farmers through our programmes
- Creating better days for 4 billion people by 2030
- Nourishing 1.5 billion people with foods delivering nutrients of need
- Reduce Scope 3 FLAG emissions 45% by 2030
- No deforestation across primary commodities by end-2025
- 96.7% of primary supply chains assessed as deforestation-free
- 100% renewable purchased electricity
- 98% of packaging designed for recycling
- 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2030 (by volume)
- Cut virgin plastic use by a third vs baseline
- Reduce water use 30% at high-stress manufacturing sites by 2030
- Halve food waste at our factories by 2030
- All our cocoa through our own sourcing programme
- Responsibly source 12 priority ingredients by 2030
- 40% women in leadership by 2025
- 50/50 gender parity in management globally; 25% people of colour in US management
- Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions independently verified
- 100% of suppliers compliant with our Human Rights Due Diligence by 2027
- Advancing the wellbeing of 250,000 people in our food value chain
- Executive pay tied to sustainability targets
- Paying farmers a premium for verified regenerative practices
- Engaging 2 billion people on our sustainability journey
- No industrial trans fats in our foods
- Clear, science-based front-of-pack nutrition labelling
- Growing sales while cutting absolute emissions
- Regenerative practices implemented on 50% of programme farms