The Federal Trade Commission has an opportunity to change the landscape for climate and environmental claims in corporate advertising.
“Sustainable,” “green,” “low carbon,” “net zero” — claims of environmental consciousness seem to be everywhere we look, not least when it comes to corporate advertising. But what environmentally friendly sounding language is actually allowed in corporate marketing, and who is ensuring that consumers aren’t being lied to?
That responsibility belongs in large part to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency tasked with protecting consumers from fraudulent business practices. The FTC has the crucial role of defining and curbing consumer fraud in its Green Guides, a set of guidelines meant to “help marketers avoid making environmental marketing claims that are unfair or deceptive.”