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Defra updates Green Claims Code to help industry and protect consumers

   

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Ref: 36/09
Date: 18 February 2009

Lord Philip Hunt, the Minister for Sustainable Development, has today announced a steering group to update Defra’s ‘Green Claims’ Code.

The code was devised to assist businesses to advertise their green products and services with confidence and help protect consumers from bogus or inaccurate claims. The code was last updated in 2003 but due to the massive growth in the market for ‘green’ products, the code now needs revising to support businesses and ensure the broad range of environmental claims they make are accurate, truthful and relevant.

The updated version will address gaps in the current guidance to keep pace with the vast range of claims made about products and services.

By supporting the development of genuine claims, the code will seek to boost consumer confidence in buying ‘green’ products and services. 

Lord Philip Hunt said:

“Consumers are often confronted with all sorts of ‘green’ claims by companies and products. Working with industry and updating the ‘Green Claims’ Code will support business to ensure that their claims are genuine and meaningful. It will also reassure consumers that when a green claim is made, they can feel confident it is truthful.”

Defra will be engaging with wider industry and businesses through workshops and meetings and will be making further announcements about the code’s developments in the Autumn of 2009.

Further information

The current members of the steering group include:

  • Advertising Standards Authority
  • Advertising Association
  • BERR
  • BRC
  • CBI
  • Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
  • Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
  • COI
  • Consumer Focus
  • DECC
  • DFT
  • Forum for the Future
  • Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)
  • ISBA (Voice of British Advertisers)
  • OFT
  • Sustainable Development commission

End

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Page published: 18 February 2009