To close that gap, we are now entering a new phase, moving from an era of voluntary commitments to one of much stricter accountability.
By March 2026, EU member states were required to transpose the new anti-greenwashing rules into national law. And from 27 September, those rules will apply across the EU.
The principle behind them is straightforward: if you make an environmental claim, you need to be able to substantiate it. Vague or misleading claims will face much tighter restrictions, with national consumer watchdogs, such as the ACM in the Netherlands, responsible for enforcement.
The new EU directive entails the following:
The ban on vague claims – Broad environmental claims such as “green” or “eco-friendly” can no longer be used without credible evidence to support them.
Ban on self-certified badges – Inventing your own “Eco-Smart” leaf logo is no longer enough. Sustainability labels must be backed by recognised certification schemes or established by public authorities.
Closing the offset trap – Companies can no longer claim a product is “carbon-neutral” or “climate-compensated” solely on the basis of buying external carbon credits to compensate for emissions elsewhere.
The real impact of these laws goes far beyond editing website copy or logos on a package. They represent a fundamental shift in corporate accountability.
Vague optimism is no longer a viable strategy. If companies want to make environmental claims, they increasingly need the data to back them up. And at the same time, broader EU regulation is pushing businesses to track and share much more information about what actually goes into their products.
Tools like Digital Product Passports (DPPs), introduced under separate EU ecodesign rules, are part of that shift, making information about materials, origins and other sustainability characteristics increasingly accessible.
We are already seeing this directive shift transform major industries.
In Fashion – The era of simply labelling a garment “made with recycled materials” is coming to an end. Brands increasingly need the traceability to substantiate what sits behind those claims. And the pressure goes beyond marketing: since July 2026, large companies in the EU are also prohibited from destroying unsold clothing and footwear.
In Electronics – Companies can no longer simply market a device as “green” or “eco-designed” and leave it at that. Consumers are increasingly being given concrete information on things like energy efficiency, battery lifespan and repairability, while manufacturers face requirements around spare parts and repair information.
In Food – Shortcuts like calling a product “climate-neutral” or “compostable” are facing much greater scrutiny. Even broader claims suggesting a product is better for the planet will need to be much more precise about what is actually being claimed, and what evidence sits behind it.
The “era of vague optimism” has officially been replaced by the “era of radical compliance.”
And that shift towards proof is not just about compliance. It could also change who gets rewarded for doing the real work.
For years, many honest companies that invested heavily in genuinely circular and sustainable practices have had to compete with businesses with bigger marketing budgets and better stock photos of trees. At the same time, consumers have become increasingly sceptical of environmental promises that are difficult to verify.
By shifting from vague claims to substantiated ones, companies have a unique opportunity to rebuild that fractured trust.
For companies, getting this right is therefore about more than avoiding penalties. It is also an opportunity to stand out with substance. That is particularly relevant for impact entrepreneurs, who are often intrinsically motivated to do the hard work without necessarily shouting the loudest about it.
Now, they may not have to. If proof becomes the baseline, the data can increasingly do the talking, making it harder to compete on messaging alone.
What is your take? Will these rules finally clear the air, or will they make companies more hesitant to talk about their sustainability ambitions at all?