Governance & Policy
Substantiation of Claims
The requirement to hold evidence proving an environmental claim before it is made — the legal backbone of anti-greenwashing enforcement.
Definition
Substantiation of claims is the legal and standards-based requirement that environmental marketing claims be supported by adequate evidence — accurate, relevant, up to date and accessible — before they are communicated. Under the EU Empowering Consumers Directive (2024/825), generic claims such as "environmentally friendly" are banned unless substantiated by recognised excellent environmental performance; the proposed Green Claims Directive would go further, requiring claims to be assessed against lifecycle evidence and verified ex ante.
Overview
The overview for this term is being prepared.
Review
Help keep this definition useful and accurate.
Submitted reviews stay private until an editor decides whether to accept and attribute them.
Contribute to this entry
How would you like to contribute?
Every endorsement and suggested edit is checked by an editor before anything changes publicly.