Greenwashing and Environmental Claims – how to avoid legal risk in environmental communication

Training process

Training needs analysis

If you have specific requirements regarding the training programme, we will carry out a training needs analysis for you. This will guide us on which aspects of the programme should receive greater emphasis, so that the training programme meets your specific needs.

What will you gain?

Spotting greenwashing - You will learn how to identify greenwashing in ads, product descriptions and corporate messaging, so you can catch risky wording early and stop problematic claims before release.

Understanding EU rules - You will get a clear view of the key EU rules on environmental communication, including the ECD, Green Claims Directive proposal, UCPD, CSRD and the EU Taxonomy.

Safer marketing claims - You will learn how to write environmental claims that are clear, specific and legally safer, helping you reduce the risk of misleading customers through vague green messaging.

Stronger claim substantiation - You will understand what data, analysis and evidence are needed to support green claims, and how verification and LCA can strengthen the credibility of your messaging.

Proper use of labels - You will learn how to use environmental labels and certifications correctly, avoid unverified markings and better assess the real value and limits of eco-label schemes.

Careful CO2 messaging - You will learn how to communicate carbon footprint, climate neutrality and CO2 offsets in a reliable way, without shortcuts that could expose your company to criticism or penalties.

Awareness of legal exposure - You will see what legal, financial and reputational consequences can follow from greenwashing, helping you assess risk earlier and protect your organisation more effectively.

Better internal processes - You will gain practical guidance on coordinating marketing, ESG and compliance teams, and on setting up review procedures for environmental messaging across your organisation.

Training programme

1. Introduction to the issues of greenwashing

definition of greenwashing,
types and forms of greenwashing in business communication,
scale of the phenomenon in Europe and worldwide,
greenwashing and the company's ESG strategy,
the importance of transparency in environmental communication.

2. EU regulatory system concerning greenwashing

climate and environmental policy of the European Union,
Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (2024/825),
draft Green Claims Directive,
relationship with other EU regulations:
- CSRD – Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive,
- EU taxonomy,
- Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD),
objectives of regulations concerning environmental communication.

3. Prohibited marketing practices related to greenwashing

general and imprecise environmental claims,
environmental communications without confirmation by evidence,
claims regarding climate neutrality based exclusively on offsets,
misleading information about the product's impact on the environment,
communications regarding recycling and biodegradability,
claims regarding the durability and repairability of products.

4. Principles of creating legally compliant environmental claims

definition of environmental claims,
requirements for documenting environmental claims,
the significance of environmental data and its verification,
product life cycle analysis (LCA) in environmental communication,
the scope of the message versus the actual impact of the product or service,
transparency and clarity of marketing communication.

5. Environmental labels and certificates

environmental certification systems in the EU,
public and private eco-label systems,
requirements for the use of ecological labels,
risks related to unverified labels,
the importance of certificates in marketing communication.

6. Climate neutrality and CO₂ emissions communication

definition of climate neutrality,
emissions reduction vs. emissions offsetting,
communication regarding the carbon footprint,
rules for informing about CO₂ offsets,
risks related to the communication of „carbon neutral”.

7. Legal liability and sanctions for greenwashing

competences of supervisory authorities in the EU,
administrative and financial sanctions,
liability of enterprises for unfair marketing practices,
risk of legal disputes and consumer proceedings,
reputational consequences for enterprises.

8. Management of environmental communication in the organization

the role of marketing, ESG and compliance departments,
procedures for verifying environmental claims,
audit of marketing communication in terms of greenwashing,
management of regulatory risk,
building credible ESG communication in the organization.

What are the prerequisites for participating in the training?

Marketing basics - You should know the basic concepts of marketing and brand communication, so you can more easily analyse ads, product descriptions and environmental messages discussed in class.

ESG awareness - You should understand the general principles of ESG and sustainability, so you can connect greenwashing issues with business activities and corporate communication more easily.

Reading regulations - You should be able to read and interpret basic legal or regulatory requirements, as the training includes EU directives and rules used to assess environmental claims.

Product communication experience - You should have experience working with product descriptions, advertising or corporate communication, so you can apply the discussed rules to real company materials more easily.