Various groups around the world, such as the ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) are publishing guidelines for advertising making environmental / green claims.
In effect, they all cover the same points.
Here is a simple guideline –
- Any claim that a company, product, service, package has a neutral or positive impact on the environment, or is less damaging to the environment than a previous version of the product, or is less damaging than competition, or has special environmental benefits; regardless of if the claim is explicit or implicit; needs to be substantiated by 3rd party validation tied to a globally-recognized standard.
If your company is becoming more environmentally friendly because you know it is the right thing to do – Wonderful!! Congratulations!!! Keep it up!!!!
But the minute you start talking about it, you need that claim substantiated by 3rd party validation tied to a globally-recognized standard.
If not, odds are, you will be exposed for greenwashing and your brand will suffer.
If you want to protect your brand, but benefit from consumer demand that you become environmentally friendly, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.