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ARTICLE · 26 JULY 2024

Cleaning Up The Act: Canada's New Greenwashing Laws

Smart & Biggar
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Last year, we discussed the ever-increasing interest in green branding and how marketing claims related to the environment are receiving increased scrutiny by Canadian regulatory authorities.

CanadaAntitrust/Competition Law
Alexandra Johnson Dingee
Alexandra Johnson Dingee
Jamie-Lynn Kraft
Jamie-Lynn Kraft
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Last year, we discussed the ever-increasing interest in green branding and how marketing claims related to the environment are receiving increased scrutiny by Canadian regulatory authorities.

It should therefore come as no surprise that the Government of Canada recently gave the "green light" to new amendments to the federal Competition Act explicitly targeting greenwashing.

Key amendments to the Competition Act

On June 20, 2024, certain amendments to Canada's Competition Act came into force specifically addressing greenwashing, a term often used to describe a deceptive marketing practice where a business or a product is claimed to be "greener" than it actually is.

These amendments reinforce the importance of providing truthful information regarding the environmental benefits of a product, service or business as part of a green branding strategy. The following is a summary of the key amendments to the Competition Act:

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The preceding is intended as a timely update on Canadian intellectual property and technology law. The content is informational only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. To obtain such advice, please communicate with our offices directly.

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