Greenwashing: UK CMA issues tailored guide for fashion brands

Greenwashing: CMA issues tailored guide for fashion brands

CMA has issued a compliance guide to help businesses stay on the right side of the law – and has advised 17 high-profile brands to review their green claims. This follows extensive action from the CMA, including securing commitments from ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda.

This practical guide – which is based on the CMA’s Green Claims Code – aims to drive compliance with consumer law and create a level playing field for all fashion businesses. In doing so, it will help to make sure shoppers looking to buy green can trust that the claims they see.

The tailored guide sets out practical tips on how fashion brands should, amongst other things:

• give clear, accurate, and complete information about their products
• make sure the criteria used to decide which items are included in green collections are clearly set out and detail any minimum requirements – and that products are not labelled as part of a sustainable range unless they meet these criteria
• be clear and specific when using filters or other navigational tools to search for green products
• be clear if the claim is based on only specific parts of a product’s life cycle

As well as issuing a guide, the CMA has advised 17 well-known fashion brands to review their business practices. These letters highlight areas of concern regarding their green claims, such as the use of broad or general terms and whether certain products are being wrongly included in ‘eco’ ranges.

The letters also remind fashion brands that the CMA will soon have strengthened consumer powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. This will enable the CMA to fine businesses up to 10% of their worldwide turnover if they break consumer law, meaning businesses should take steps now to make sure their claims are accurate and do not mislead shoppers.

For more information, visit the Misleading environmental claims collection