What do businesses need to do when making environmental claims?
Responsibilities when making environmental claims and what can happen if you don鈥檛 comply with consumer protection law.
Consumer protect law means that your business must ensure that your environmental claims:
- are truthful and accurate
- are clear and unambiguous
- do not omit or hide important
- compare goods or services in a fair and meaningful way
- consider the full life cycle of the product or service
- are substantiated
When making, or considering making, environmental claims you need to:
- comply with any sector or product specific laws that apply to your business or your products and services
- read Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance and ensure that you comply with your consumer protection law obligations
- consider carefully whether you need to make changes to your practices
- make any changes necessary to comply with the law, such as:
- stopping making false or deceptive statements
- amending claims to ensure they are compliant
- ensuring you have the evidence to substantiate claims
- ensuring you give consumers the information they need to make informed choices
Find out if your business activities are likely to be covered by CMA guidance.
If in doubt about what you need to do, you should seek independent legal advice on the interpretation and application of consumer protection law. You can also speak to the Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service (TSS) for advice.
What happens if you do not comply with consumer protection law?
If your business does not comply with consumer protection law, the CMA and other bodies, such as TSS, can bring court proceedings. In some cases, you may be required to pay redress to any consumers harmed by the breach of consumer protection law. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) could also take action against misleading advertisements that contravene the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) or Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP) Codes.