Govt sets March 21 deadline for public comments on guidelines to curb greenwashing
The Central Consumer Protection Authority is seeking public comments on Draft Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing, which is a misleading practice of making false environmental claims in ads to sell products. The guidelines define greenwashing as any deceptive or misleading practice that includes concealing, omitting, or hiding relevant information.
These guidelines will be applicable to all advertisements and service providers, product sellers, advertisers, or advertising agencies. The public has been invited to provide comments, suggestions, and feedback to the Central Authority within 30 days through the provided link. The guidelines also prescribe various disclosures that would be required to be made by the company making green claims.
These include ensuring all environmental claims in ads or communications are fully disclosed, avoiding selectively presenting data to favorably highlight environmental claims while hiding unfavorable aspects, and substantiating specific environmental claims with credible certification, reliable scientific evidence, and independent third-party verification for authenticity. The guidelines also provide that aspirational or futuristic environmental claims may be made only when clear and actionable plans have been developed detailing how those objectives will be achieved.
The Draft Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing have been placed on the website of the Department of Consumer Affairs and are accessible through the provided link. This move aims to regulate deceptive environmental claims in advertisements and ensure that companies making green claims adhere to strict guidelines and provide verifiable evidence to support their claims.
The guidelines seek to prevent the practice of greenwashing, which can mislead consumers and harm the environment by promoting products as environmentally friendly without adequate evidence to support such claims. Companies making green claims will need to ensure that all environmental claims in ads or communications are fully disclosed and backed by verifiable evidence.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority’s initiative to seek public comments on the draft guidelines for greenwashing prevention and regulation reflects the government’s commitment to protecting consumers from misleading environmental claims and promoting transparency and accountability in advertising practices related to environmental claims. The guidelines aim to ensure that advertisements truly reflect a product’s environmental impact and prevent deceptive practices that mislead consumers.
