From airlines to trainers, this German NGO stops companies from greenwashing products
It's not uncommon to see products sold on shop shelves that market themselves as 'carbon neutral' or 'environmentally friendly'. But these claims are not always clear or backed up by evidence - and courts are forcing companies to take them down.
German non-profit Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has been on an anti-greenwashing litigation spree over the last three years, stopping more than 100 firms from advertising their products or corporate activities as good for the environment. These include the makers of shower gel and trainers, and cruise and airline operators.
Agnes Sauter, head of ecological market surveillance at DUH, says companies are increasingly advertising their products and services with purported environmental benefits as shoppers become more aware of the impacts of the things they buy.
But the claims do not always stand up to scrutiny. A 2020 study by the European Commission found more than half of environmental claims in the EU to be vague, misleading or unfounded and 40 per cent were unsubstantiated.
'
Greenwashing
has become a growing problem that misleads consumers and hinders real progress in climate protection and the sustainable use of resources,' says Sauter.
Related
'Their determination is heroic': Portuguese youth mount fresh climate lawsuit against government
Which companies have been accused of greenwashing?
Although it has been filing greenwashing claims since May 2022, DUH stepped up its action last year following a judgment by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) against sweet company Katjes.
The court ruled that ambiguous terms like 'climate neutral' - which could mean that a company has actually cut its emissions or that it has bought controversial
carbon offsets
- would only be allowed if they were properly explained within the advert itself.
In the last few months alone, DUH has confronted around 20 companies about their advertising claims under Germany's Act against Unfair Competition, arguing that information is missing or challenging companies to show that the climate protection projects they use to achieve neutrality can meet their promises.
Sauter says the non-profit sees itself as an advocate for consumers 'because correct information about the quality of a product enables informed purchasing decisions to be made'.
Judges have proved sympathetic. Last month, sporting goods brand Adidas was ordered to stop advertising that it would become 'climate neutral by 2050' because it had not clearly explained how it would meet this goal.
'Climate protection is an increasingly important topic for consumers, dominating not only the news but also everyday life,' says Cologne Regional Court. 'And advertising a company or its products with supposed climate neutrality can therefore have a significant impact on the purchasing decision.'
In a statement, Adidas says the decision relates exclusively to 'specific wording' on its website, which has since been changed.
Related
Going round in circularity: Most Brits confused by sustainability language, survey finds
Climate neutral promises can confuse or deceive consumers
Sauter says corporate announcements that companies would be CO2 or climate neutral in the coming decades convey the impression of acting sustainably and responsibly, 'but in most cases, this is nothing more than blatant consumer deception'.
She says these measures are often formulated vaguely and are difficult or even impossible to verify. 'Such advertising claims must be credibly substantiated and presented in a way that is understandable to consumers. In our opinion, anything else is massive greenwashing and must be stopped immediately."
Aviation group
Lufthansa
, headquartered in Germany, was also banned by Cologne Regional Court in March from advertising that passengers can 'compensate' for carbon emissions from its flights. The adverts gave the false impression that a payment would make flying completely carbon neutral.
ADVERTISEMENT
DUH previously won a similar legal victory specifically against airline
Eurowings
, which Lufthana operates. Lufthansa says it is carefully considering the latest ruling.
Last year, Hamburg Regional Court upheld a greenwashing lawsuit against Shell Germany.
DUH argued that giving customers the option of offsetting emissions from filling their cars with petrol or diesel gave a misleading impression that they could drive without any environmental impacts, because it was done via carbon credits from forest protection projects in Peru and Indonesia.
Shell
Germany said the decision obliged it to stop CO2 offsetting and to stop selling Shell Helix bottles with the logo 'CO2-neutral'.
ADVERTISEMENT
Similarly, Karlsruhe Regional Court found consumers had been misled by cruise line TUI Cruises' advertising promise that its cruise operations would be decarbonised by 2050.
Some of DUH's claims target specific products. Following a successful lawsuit, home improvement chain Obi has been told it cannot advertise a wall paint as 'climate-neutral'.
Related
Oatly found to have 'overstated' environmental claims in adverts
Legal action is sending a 'strong signal' to greenwashing companies
Some of these cases are still subject to appeal, and DUH will be watching to make sure that any final rulings are followed through. It enforced an injunction it had won in 2023 against drugstore chain dm for misleading consumers with the terms 'climate neutral' and 'environmentally neutral' on particular products.
When the company started to readvertise with the new slogan 'act environmentally neutral', DUH started fresh legal proceedings until dm agreed to stop using that too.
ADVERTISEMENT
A number of DUH's legal claims are still ongoing and some could be appealed. But Sauter says most of the companies it has legally threatened have withdrawn specific
advertising
claims and made a declaration that they will stop.
These include gas suppliers who marketed fossil gas as climate-neutral green gas, a company in the Bauhaus Group that advertised a disposable grill made of '100% natural materials' and Poco furniture stores that marketed a chair as 'environmentally friendly'.
Sauter says DUH's activities were having a 'strong signalling effect' and advertising with climate neutrality on the basis of offsetting claims 'has rapidly decreased'.
Related
Companies will soon have to prove that they really are taking climate action, under draft EU law
Fish door bells, plastic-eating fungi and tree hugging: Positive environmental stories from 2025
Regulators are cracking down on greenwashing in Europe too
And DUH is not done yet. It recently sent cease-and-desist letters to five companies that it claims advertise environmental benefits without providing information about them: beauty Coty over its 'ocean-friendly' sunscreen; Deichmann and Tchibo about shoes and clothing marketed as 'sustainable'; DIY brand Toom over a laminate marketed as 'good for the environment'; and L'Oreal's over its 'sustainability commitment'.
ADVERTISEMENT
DUH's victories only apply directly to corporate activities in
Germany
. But Sauter points out that competition law is regulated at the EU level and so, if a German court finds an advert to be misleading, there is a good chance that a court in another EU country would agree.
Regulators have also been cracking down on greenwashing. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), for example, previously banned an advert by
Lufthansa
for making unjustified climate claims. And both the
ASA
and the Netherlands' equivalent have ordered Shell and its subsidiaries to take down greenwashed adverts.
DUH is now calling on Germany's new federal government to set clearer rules and fines for consumer deception. It is already required to put into law new EU rules aimed at empowering consumers for the green transition. And in future it will likely have to implement a proposed
greenwashing
law expected to tackle both product and company-level claims.
Sauter says sustainability cannot just be a marketing ploy and must lead to real improvements in the design of products. 'After all, honest climate and environmental protection is urgently needed in the face of the climate crisis and can only be strengthened by clear regulations.'
ADVERTISEMENT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
Eurozone business activity hits 15-month high in August
Eurozone economic growth continued slowly in August, according to S&P Global's flash purchasing manager index (PMI), which provides the latest information on how businesses are performing. The composite PMI, including services and manufacturing, increased by 0.2 points in August to 51.1 points, suggesting that business activity grew at its fastest rate since May 2024. This suggests that eurozone GDP is growing at a 0.2% quarterly rate in August, in line with expectations, following a 0.1% GDP increase in the second quarter. However, "the pace of expansion remained frustratingly sluggish," noted S&P Global. Business activity in the bloc was mainly driven by new orders, which rose for the first time in 15 months, both for the manufacturing and services sectors. The steep post-pandemic downturn in the eurozone's manufacturing economy has ended, according to the flash manufacturing PMI, which rose above 50.0, marking growth in August for the first time since June 2022. Manufacturing output increased to 50.5 in August from 49.8 in July. The services PMI fell slightly but remained above 50 points (50.7), indicating growth. France posted improvements. According to the figures, the country's businesses are nearing stabilisation, and the PMIs came in just below 50 points. This indicates modest GDP growth in France so far in the third quarter, according to the report. Meanwhile, increased manufacturing activity helped Germany report a third successive monthly increase in overall output during August. But Europe's biggest economy also recorded a muted service sector performance. "The overall upturn in output was nonetheless the fastest since March, suggesting that German GDP looks to be on course to rise modestly again in the third quarter," according to S&P Global. The rest of the countries in the eurozone "continued to outperform Germany and France but lost some momentum in August, particularly in the services sector," noted Barclays in its analysis. On the labour market front, August's flash PMI indicated another small rise in eurozone employment. According to S&P Global, the PMI readings in August, for business activity and prices, as well as employment, indicate that there is room for the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut the key rates further. However, a small uplift in services inflation remains a risk. The ECB has now cut interest rates by 25 basis points eight times since June 2024, bringing the deposit rate to 2%. UK: fastest growth for a year In a separate dataset, the flash UK PMI survey for August indicated that the pace of economic growth has continued to accelerate over the summer, following a sluggish spring. The composite PMI came in at 53.0 points, up from 51.5 in July, rising to its highest for a year in August. According to S&P Global, this indicates that GDP is growing at a 0.3% quarterly rate. The growth was driven by the services sector. And although manufacturing output fell in August, it did so only marginally, pointing to stabilisation after a long period of sharp declines. The survey notes that demand for UK businesses remains fragile, sprinkled with concerns over the impact of recent government policy changes and broader geopolitical uncertainty. Meanwhile, goods exports are still falling, and payroll numbers continue to be cut. This is coupled with persistent inflation, leaving the Bank of England little room to cut key interest rates this year in order to boost the economy.
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
These European destinations reward tourists for good behaviour
Dozens of popular European destinations have brought in fines, taxes and other restrictions on travellers in recent months, in an attempt to combat overtourism. However, last year, Copenhagen took a very different approach. The city began rewarding tourists who demonstrate responsible and conscious behaviour through the CopenPay initiative. The main aim of this scheme is to show travellers that climate actions can be much easier than they think, in an effort to promote sustainable tourism. Incentives include providing free bike rentals, boat tours and lunches for travellers who help out in communal gardens, collect litter and take public transport. Following Copenhagen's actions, other European cities and destinations such as Berlin, Helsinki and Bremen have expressed interest in trying the same system. 'Since launching CopenPay last summer, we've been met by an enormous interest from cities and tourist boards from Europe, Asia and North America, all wanting to know more about CopenPay and our learnings,' Søren Tegen Petersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, said in a press release. 'So far, we have shared insights on CopenPay with more than 100 interested parties.' Rewards for train travel and longer stays Berlin is considering launching a new initiative next year, which could reward travellers arriving by train, staying longer, eating plant-based meals and participating in eco-friendly activities, with perks like museum entry fee discounts, free food and complimentary bicycle rentals. This scheme is expected to help narrow the gap between tourists wanting to be more responsible, but not knowing how, and their actual behaviour. The city has suggested it will use mobile apps and points-based systems to streamline the rewards and engagement process, along with partnering with local businesses. Helsinki is also interested in following Copenhagen's example and introducing its own version of a rewards scheme. This is likely to have a particular focus on regenerative tourism and Baltic Sea restoration projects, in collaboration with other Baltic and Nordic destinations. The scheme would also encourage tourists to take public transport and cycle, with rewards like free meals and discounted tours, among other experiences. Similarly, another German city, Bremen, has already introduced a cooperative campaign with Deutsche Bahn to promote sustainable tourism, with plans to use the CopenPay model for further development. As part of the scheme, overnight guests coming into Bremen by train receive surprise goodie bags with small gifts and vouchers from different local tourism businesses. 'The campaign was very well received by our visitors and has encouraged us to further expand the concept, strengthening Bremen as a sustainable destination. For 2026, we are planning an even larger initiative,' Oliver Rau, managing director of Bremen Marketing and Tourism, Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH, said in the press release. Popular ski destinations in the Alps, such as Via Lattea in Italy and Les Gets-Morzine in France are also slashing up to 25 per cent off ski passes this year for visitors who arrive by rail. Free drinks and museum access Rewarding tourists for responsible behaviour is not an entirely new concept, with other cities like London having had their own similar local schemes for years now. In July, widely known as Plastic Free July, visitors and residents in London have been rewarded with a free drink for participating in cleanups. In Switzerland, travellers who choose to explore the country by public transport get free entrance to over 500 museums with a Swiss Travel Pass, as well as up to 50 per cent discount on most mountain railways. Wild Sweden, an award-winning holiday company, also offers spa access and a free meal at Hotel Savoy in Lulea to visitors who arrive in Swedish Lapland by rail for their Northern Lights and wildlife holiday. Last spring, Normandy launched a low carbon tariff which offered a discount of at least 10 per cent on admission to 90 attractions and cultural sites. This applies to visitors coming to France's northern region by bus, train or cycle and can be used at castles, museums, monuments and parks, as well as for bike rentals, canoeing and escape rooms, among other activities.
Euronews
13 hours ago
- Euronews
Germany's Porsche is closing battery subsidiary Cellforce, reports say
German sports car giant Porsche plans to close the majority of operations at its subsidiary Cellforce, a factory for high-performance battery cells. According to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, the sports car manufacturer plans to lay off around 200 of its 286 employees at the factory in Kirchentellinsfurt, Germany. The cuts suggest that, at best, a small research and development unit would remain at Cellforce's site. Porsche declined to comment on the reports, but Der Spiegel noted that a corresponding mass layoff was reported to the employment agency in the nearby city of Reutlingen on Wednesday. Porsche invested in Cellforce Group GmbH in 2021. At first, it was a joint venture between Porsche AG and battery cell manufacturer CustomCells. In an effort to establish Baden-Württemberg as a leading battery location, the state also offered €17 million in funding to Cellforce in 2022. In 2023, Porsche then took over the business entirely with the promise of producing high-performance battery cells on a much larger scale than previously planned. However, it was a short-lived ambition. In April this year, Porsche announced that it would not continue to operate the battery cell subsidiary independently. According to Der Spiegel, representatives from BMW visited the site at the beginning of August, and defence companies were also said to have been interested in the factory for developing batteries for military drones. Yet the latest media reports suggest that no new investors are on the horizon. The depreciation of Cellforce's production facilities is allegedly costing Porsche €295mn. Meanwhile, around 200 employees face unemployment because, unlike its parent company Porsche, there is no employment guarantee and no works council at Cellforce. All employees have been invited to a town hall meeting on 25 August, at the "Cellforce 1" building in Kirchentellinsfurt. Employees are also banned from taking holiday on that day, according to reports. Michael Steiner, Porsche's chief development officer and vice president, will address the staff. The closure of the battery business highlights fundamental challenges to Porsche's electric strategy, pursued by CEO Oliver Blume. Cellforce was intended to help increase the firm's EV sales and profits by allowing the manufacturer to draw upon its own high-performance cells.
