Consumer market study on environmental claims for non-food products : APPENDIX 1 : selection criteria and stakeholder consultation

One of the key tenets of the European Consumer Agenda is that consumers should be empowered, assisted and encouraged to make sustainable purchasing choices. This will lead to cost savings for themselves and for society as a whole. For consumers to make sustainable choices, they need to have clear and reliable information in order to be able to easily identify the 'right' product or service to purchase. Information of this nature is provided by business by means of a range of environmental/green claims. The expressions 'environmental claims' or 'green claims' refer to the practice of suggesting or otherwise creating the impression (in the context of a commercial communication, marketing or advertising) that a product or a service, is environmentally friendly (i.e. it has a positive impact on the environment) or is less damaging to the environment than competing goods or services. This may be due to, for example, its composition, the way it has been manufactured or produced, the way it can be disposed of and the reduction in energy or pollution which can be expected from its use. To unlock the untapped potential for green growth there are some key challenges ahead that need special attention. - Consumers are confronted with an increasing number of environmental claims - While the interest in purchasing green products is high, the Eurobarometer from June 2011 also shows that consumer trust in environmental labelling has decreased. - Cases of misleading and unsubstantiated environmental claims (e.g. 'greenwashing') in certain product markets have been reported by businesses, as well as by consumers and environmental NGOs. These undermine consumers' ability to contribute to green growth by means of their purchasing choices. - Consumers not always truly understand the green claims they are confronted with