Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive
16 june 2026
This blog is written by our senior strategy consultant and ECGT expert, Eva Schouten.
The directive tackling unsubstantiated green claims
For years, consumers have been faced with claims such as green, eco-friendly, sustainable, or better for the planet. On packaging, websites, advertisements and product labels. But what do these claims actually mean? And how well are they substantiated? The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive aims to change this. In this blog, we explain what the directive entails, which claims it covers and how businesses can comply with the rules.
From 27 September 2026, the directive aims to prohibit unsubstantiated claims and provide consumers with greater clarity on product durability, repair options and product lifespan. This might sound daunting – another regulation – but it also offers an opportunity. The ECGT helps businesses simplify their sustainability message and make their communications clearer, more focused and more credible.
How did the ECGT get established?
A 2020 European Commission assessment of environmental claims found that 53.3% of claims contained vague, misleading, or unfounded information, while 40% lacked supporting evidence. In response, the EU introduced the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive. Enforcement of the directive will be done through national laws in EU Member State and their consumer protection agencies, such as ACM in the Netherlands. The ECGT will bring sustainability in a new phase, where incorporating sustainability in marketing efforts will require more careful selection of claims.
Who is the ECGT for?
If your business communicates with consumers, chances are the ECGT applies to you. Think of communications done via packaging, websites, advertisements, product labels, and through climate commitments. Whether you sell food, cosmetics, clothing, electronics, or household products, every sustainability-related statement in your consumer-facing communications may needs reviewing
Get ready for the ECGT by reviewing your claims
1. General Sustainability Claims
The ECGT takes direct aim at broad environmental statements that lack supporting evidence. Vague terms may no longer be acceptable unless they can be backed up with recognized proof. Such as:
- Eco-friendly
- Green
- Sustainable
- Responsible
- Climate-smart
- Environmentally friendly
That does not mean you should communicate less about sustainability. It means you should be more specific. What difference are you actually making? Are you reducing carbon emissions? Contributing to circularity? Extending the lifespan of products?
The key is to be clear without becoming overly complex. Consumers should quickly understand what you do, why it matters and what evidence supports your claim. Wherever possible, support your claims with concrete figures and verifiable facts. For example, what percentage of a product is made from recycled materials? Or by how much have you reduced your carbon emissions?
For products, be transparent about material composition and, where relevant, the proven origin of raw materials. Make sure all information is up to date, verifiable and properly substantiated. This also requires making choices. Focus on the areas where your organisation delivers a genuinely distinctive or well-supported contribution. That will not only make your communications more compliant, but also more compelling.
2. Sustainability Labels
Many brands have developed their own environmental badges, logos, and seals over the years. As they are currently 200+ third-party sustainability labels, some without any verification, it becomes quite confusing for consumers. Labels that suggest sustainability performance under the ECGT must be supported by credible certification systems and independent verification. For businesses, this means taking a fresh look at every logo, certification, and claim appearing on-pack or online. Take the opportunity in being more mindful in the labels you work with and explaining their benefits towards you consumers and how they are verified.
If you are unsure about the credibility of a label, the Milieu Centraal Label Guide can help you assess its requirements, transparency and reliability. Specifically for food products you can check Top Sustainability Labels (collaboration Dutch Government and Milieu Centraal).
3. Climate Neutrality Claims
Claims such as “carbon neutral” or “climate positive” have expanded rapidly over the years. Many are based on ambitions for the future. Under the ECGT claims that rely primarily on carbon offsetting rather than actual emissions reductions no longer suffice. Consumers should be able to understand the difference between reducing emissions and compensating for them. For your company the transparency around climate strategies will become increasingly important, such as by establishing explanatory webpages explaining your climate transition plans.
Go beyond compliance
The directive officially becomes enforceable on 27 September 2026, and there is no transition period. That means businesses should already be reviewing their claims, certifications, packaging, websites, and climate communications. The companies that benefit most from the ECGT will be those that use it as an opportunity to strengthen consumer trust and differentiate themselves through credible sustainability communications.
At The Terrace, we have extensive experience in translating sustainability performance into claims that are clear, well-substantiated and persuasive. With our ECGT Green Claims Scan, we assess existing sustainability claims and identify potential risks as well as opportunities for improvement. This gives you a clear understanding of which claims require attention and how to strengthen your sustainability communications. We can also support you in developing the evidence needed to substantiate your claims.
