EU Anti-Greenwashing Rules Take Effect— and Some Eco-Labels May Not Survive

Photo Caption: By Johannes Jansson/norden.org, CC BY 2.5 dk, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25061967 Europe’s latest anti-greenwashing legislation took effect Sunday. The legislation, Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), is designed to crack down on unsubstantiated sustainability claims. It protects European Union consumers regardless of where a company is based, meaning that companies based outside of the economic bloc are still covered. The travel and tourism industry’s sustainability chiefs welcomed the law, saying that it brings greater transparency and consistency. EmpCo bans vague and generic terms; carbon-neutral terms based on offsetting; mandates plans for meeting future climate goals if claims are made about them; and introduces stricter rules around sustainability labels, which must now be based on a relevant certification that is verified by a third party or established by a public authority. It covers comparison tools and eco-labels on hotels. Environmental claims tha