Consumers are increasingly looking to make environmentally friendly and sustainable choices, but are currently overwhelmed with confusing, vague, obscure and/or unsubstantiated green claims. Strong ACCC guidance on this topic will help clarify expectations on businesses making these claims, within the existing legal framework. CHOICE welcomes the ACCC developing guidance for businesses and our submission recommends some areas where it could be stronger. We also highlight that this guidance is just one piece of what is required to ensure consumers can trust green claims. Further legislation and powers for enforcement are also needed. Our submission to the ACCC recommends that the proposed guidelines should:

1. State that businesses should not use self-certified trust mark schemes
2. Provide businesses with a recommended list of certified trustmark schemes
3. Expect businesses to provide consumers with enough information to verify their green claims and report on future claims
4. Encourage businesses to test the best ways to display green claims to ensure they are understood by consumers.

Download submission (PDF)

• Submission to the ACCC: Environmental and sustainability claims

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