Both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC) and the Australian Securities and
Investments Commission (ASIC) have publicly
announced that enforcement in relation to 'greenwashing'
claims is a priority for this financial year.
Consistent with that, the ACCC has recently released its report
into the market review it conducted of greenwashing claims. The
report is available
here.
Given customers are increasingly considering the environmental
impact of their purchasing decisions, the ACCC and ASIC are only
expected to accelerate their enforcement efforts. Companies making
claims about the sustainability of their products, their
environmental impact, or their 'green' or
'sustainability' credentials more broadly need to ensure
the accuracy and validity of such claims and maintain materials
that substantiate those claims.
