Canada Passes Laws Prohibiting Greenwashing

On June 20, 2024, Canada's House of Commons passed Bill C-59, which includes significant amendments to the Competition Act aimed at reforming the current landscape of competition law. Bill C-59 contains provisions aimed at curbing greenwashing and requires companies to provide substantial evidence for any environmental claims they make, applying not just to specific products but also to business and business activity. This captures, for example, statements made by businesses about commitments to carbon neutrality and net-zero goals. These new regulations on green advertising and certain other efforts to address deceptive marketing practices introduced by Bill C-59 have already come into force upon receiving Royal Assent while other important legislative updates will come into force on June 20, 2025.