How the new EU directive curbs greenwashing
The new EU directive “Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition” (EmpCo, Directive (EU) 2024/825) sets a decisive framework for credible and verifiable sustainability communication. It responds to the growing number of misleading or vague environmental claims and is intended to better protect consumers, curb greenwashing, and require companies to make precise, substantiated claims. The background is that numerous studies have shown that many so-called green claims to date have been unclear, unsubstantiated, or deliberately embellished.
What counts as greenwashing under EmpCo?
Greenwashing includes all forms of misleading sustainability statements—from general terms such as “environmentally friendly” or “green” to unsubstantiated assertions or statements that make products appear more sustainable than they actually are. EmpCo addresses this practice directly and defines a series of clear prohibitions and risk areas. Blanket environmental claims such as “sustainable,” “climate-friendly,” or “environmentally responsible” will in future be permitted only if they are specific and clearly verifiable.
What does EmpCo specifically prohibit?
Offsetting claims such as “CO₂-neutral” or “climate-neutral” will be largely prohibited from 27 September 2026, as they have often masked actual emissions to date instead of promoting effective reductions. EmpCo also prohibits advertising irrelevant benefits and substances that are already prohibited by law, as well as self-created sustainability labels without an independent certification system. Product-related statements on recycled content, repairability, or durability must also be precisely quantified and reliably substantiated in future. Company-wide or cross-product statements based only on individual aspects are considered misleading. The rules on durability and obsolescence are particularly far-reaching. EmpCo prohibits concealed or planned obsolescence, withholding negative effects of software updates, artificially generated prompts to replace consumables, and false statements about durability or repairability. This addresses well-known cases in which devices or components had to be replaced unnecessarily early.
These are the risk areas for companies
Current assessments indicate that general environmental claims, life-cycle claims, self-awarded labels, and offsetting statements are among the most sensitive areas. These types of statements will be scrutinised particularly closely in future audits, marketing reviews, and product assessments. For companies, EmpCo therefore means not only a formal adjustment to new legal requirements, but a fundamental review and realignment of their sustainability and product communication. Informational value, precision, verifiability, and a robust data basis become the central benchmark. Companies that change course early not only reduce legal risks, but also strengthen their credibility and differentiation in the market.
Recommendations for future-proof communication
Against this backdrop, it is advisable to avoid blanket or non-specific statements as a matter of principle or to clearly qualify them, to use only independent and recognised labels and certifications, to quantify and substantiate statements on recycled content, durability, or repairability in a transparent and robust manner, and to avoid offsetting claims wherever possible. Instead, the focus should be on actual emissions reductions, transparent CO₂ footprints, and verifiable improvement targets. Clear internal guidelines for environmental claims, simple pre-publication review routines, and a consistent data foundation that marketing, product management, and compliance can use jointly are also helpful.
An opportunity for credible sustainability communication
Overall, EmpCo presents an opportunity: companies that communicate transparently, evidence-based, and in a comprehensible way strengthen the trust of their customers and differentiate themselves positively in a market in which credibility is becoming a key competitive factor. Nextra Consulting supports companies in aligning their sustainability communication with this new standard, identifying risks, and developing robust, compliant claims that create real added value—for customers, regulators, and their own brand profile.
