Guidelines To Combat Greenwashing - The India Perspective

Greater awareness amongst consumers of the environmental impact of goods and services they consume has made a focus on Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") principles unavoidable for businesses.

The significance of ecological sustainability to consumers has led to corresponding concerns relating to "greenwashing", and over the veracity of the claims made by corporations in respect of the goods and/or services that they provide. This phenomenon has the potential to undermine the credibility of genuine sustainability efforts and eroding consumer trust in businesses.

Recognizing the need for clear guidelines and enforceable measures to prevent and regulate greenwashing, the Central Consumer Protection Authority ("CCPA"), India's primary regulatory body tasked with protecting the rights of Indian consumers issued the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims ("Guidelines"), which were first released as a