Does Novel "Greenwashing" Enforcement Action Portend A New Trend?

Lawsuits over alleged misleading environmental marketing claims, or "greenwashing," are nothing new. It has been nearly 30 years since the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its first version of the "Green Guides," which are intended to help marketers avoid the practice. Since then, there have been many greenwashing actions before the FTC. More broadly, the FTC has pursued a number of suits in federal court, such as false advertising claims over the terms "clean diesel" and "100% organic." But last month, in a first, several environmental groups petitioned the FTC to use its Green Guides offensively against a fossil fuel company for "misleading consumers on the climate and environmental impact of its operations."