Agent WranglersECM-49Required EU law
Never make green claims you cannot prove
Never call a product or the business green, eco-friendly, climate neutral or similar without proof of recognised excellent environmental performance. Never show a sustainability label that no certification scheme or public authority gave.
Region
European Union (EU). The duty comes from the law there. The rule applies only when the project serves people there, and its Applies when also holds.
How to do it
Directive (EU) 2024/825 added these bans to Annex I of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, and they apply since 27 September 2026. Point 4a bans a generic environmental claim the trader cannot prove. The directive names "eco-friendly", "green", "climate friendly" and "biodegradable" as examples. Point 4b bans a claim about a whole product when it concerns one part. Point 4c bans claims of a neutral or reduced impact that rest on carbon offsetting. Point 2a bans home-made sustainability labels. Keep each claim as a field tied to its evidence, such as an EU Ecolabel licence number, never as free text. Like Never fake urgency or scarcity, these bans apply whatever the circumstances.
How to check
A lint runs over product text, badges and marketing pages with a list of claim words, such as eco-friendly, green and climate neutral. It finds none, unless the product has an evidence record. A query finds no label image without a certification scheme ID.
Sources
Related rules
- UXD-1 Never fake urgency or scarcity in UX and deceptive design
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