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ARTICLE · 04 NOVEMBER 2026

Green Claims Update: October 2026

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New EU regulations now ban unsubstantiated green claims and carbon offset marketing, while UK authorities tighten enforcement on environmental advertising. Major travel companies and consumer brands face regulatory action over misleading sustainability statements, as class action litigation emerges targeting greenwashing practices.

United KingdomConsumer Protection
Oliver Bray
Oliver Bray
Ciara Cullen
Ciara Cullen
Sophie Tuson
Sophie Tuson

Welcome to our round-up of the key legal and regulatory developments relating to green claims. If you have any questions about this, or about wider ESG and sustainability regulatory developments, please get in touch.

For future updates, please subscribe here.

Key updates

SPOTLIGHT: New EU green claims rules now in force!

New rules under the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT) took effect from 27 September 2026, banning certain consumer-facing green claims outright in the EU. This includes: unsubstantiated generic environmental claims (eg "sustainable", "eco"), CO₂ claims based on carbon offsetting, claims presenting minimum legal requirements as distinctive product features, and use of non-compliant sustainability labels. The ECGT also prohibits claims about future environmental performance (eg 'net zero' claims) if not backed up by a publicly available implementation plan and verified by an independent expert whose findings are also made public.

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