- By Esther Griffin
- In Comms Trends, Greenwash
New CAP greenwashing guidance: how to get environmental claims right
The UK’s advertising rulemaker has published a new set of resources to help businesses communicate their environmental credentials clearly and credibly – without falling into the greenwashing trap.
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which writes and updates the rules for non-broadcast advertising in the UK, has launched a new practical guide, Greenspeaking with confidence, alongside a quick checklist and updates to its existing guidance on environmental claims.
Greenspeaking with confidence is designed to help businesses apply the existing rules in practice. It brings together five key principles: consider the audience, hold adequate evidence, limit the scope of claims, ensure claims are clear and be transparent with initiatives.
The guide also covers broader issues including social responsibility and use of imagery. Throughout, practical examples demonstrate how environmental claims are likely to be interpreted by consumers, and how advertisers can communicate them more clearly and accurately.
A quick greenwash checklist for marketing and comms teams
Alongside the new guide, CAP has published a simple checklist designed to be used during the creative and approval process.
Essentially, it boils the guidance down to five questions:
- What would the average consumer think our claim means?
- Do we hold adequate evidence to support the claim?
- Are we being clear about what part of the product lifecycle our claim applies to?
- When communicating our green initiatives, are we being open about our overall environmental impact?
- Have we explained the basis of environmental terms like “sustainable”, “biodegradable”, “net zero” and “carbon neutral”?
Absolute vs comparative claims
That last point is particularly important when it comes to green claims. CAP’s guidance highlights the difference between comparative and absolute claims: comparative claims can often be easier to substantiate because they identify a specific point of comparison, while absolute claims such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” typically require a much higher level of evidence.
Absolute claims are one of the most common forms of greenwashing. A recent study from ASA (the advertising watchdog) using AI-assisted analysis found around three-quarters of environmental claims identified online were classified as absolute claims.
Making carbon and net zero claims
The guide also has a dedicated focus on carbon and net zero claims, reflecting a long-running problem around consumer understanding.
The ASA and CAP has found that consumers can interpret terms such as “carbon neutral” and “net zero” in very different ways. Some may understand them to mean that a product or business produces no emissions, without necessarily understanding the role that offsetting might play.
The new guidance therefore stresses the importance of explaining the basis of claims such as these, including whether they rely on emissions reductions, offsetting, or a combination of the two – and making sure future targets are backed by a credible, verifiable strategy.
In other words, “carbon neutral” shouldn’t be left to do all the explaining itself.
New rules? Not quite
For businesses wondering whether Greenspeaking with confidence represents a new set of environmental advertising rules, the answer is no.
The guide is primarily about making the existing requirements easier to understand and apply. CAP’s longstanding environmental guidance remains the more comprehensive regulatory reference, and CAP has updated that guidance alongside the new resources.
Instead, Greenspeaking with confidence turns a fairly complex body of rules, research and ASA rulings into something much more accessible for the people actually creating, reviewing and approving marketing communications.
Advice and support
If you’re struggling to communicate your green achievements with clarity and credibility, we can help. Whether you’re an SME or a global brand, our greenwash training and communications services will help you navigate the pitfalls of greenwashing and build lasting trust through transparent, authentic storytelling. Get in touch for advice.
