Is The Proposed Amendment To The Competition Act To Combat Greenwashing Really A Step Forward?

Greenwashing is a form of marketing that misrepresents a product, service or practice as having positive environmental effects,¹ thereby misleading consumers and preventing them from making an informed purchasing decision.²

Several initiatives have been launched around the world to counter this practice. In California, a law requires business entities to disclose information in support of environmental claims.³ In France, ads featuring environmental claims such as "carbon-neutral" and "net zero" must include a quick response (QR) code that links to the studies and data supporting such claims.⁴ Within the European Union, a proposal for a directive was published with a view to possibly banning generic terms like "environmentally friendly."⁵ In South Korea, the Korea Fair Trade Commission proposed an amendment to its Guidelines for Review of Environment-Related Labeling and Advertising that would simplify the process of issuing fines to businesses engaged