Governance & Policy
Vague/Generic Environmental Claim
Non-specific claims like "eco-friendly", "green" or "sustainable" — banned under EU law unless backed by recognised excellent performance.
Definition
A vague or generic environmental claim is an environmental statement of broad, undefined benefit — "eco-friendly", "green", "sustainable", "planet-safe" — that cannot be tied to a specific, verifiable environmental attribute. The EU Empowering Consumers Directive (2024/825) prohibits such claims unless the trader can demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance (such as EU Ecolabel or ISO 14024 Type I certification), on the ground that unspecific claims are inherently misleading: they imply overall virtue without stating any.
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