The Need to Bring Science into Communication

For years, words like “green,” “environmentally friendly,” or “carbon neutral” circulated freely in reports, advertisements, and websites, often without much scrutiny. However, this technical and scientific looseness will have to end if companies want to avoid accusations of greenwashing.

The Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT), already in force since 2024 and with full application starting in September 2026, represents a structural shift in how sustainability is communicated in the European market. This is not just another technical ESG instrument, but a redefinition of what is acceptable to say — and promise — to consumers.

The logic of the directive is simple: sustainability ceases to be an aspirational narrative and becomes a factual claim subject to consumer protection law. Whenever a company chooses to communicate voluntarily about environmental impact, climate, or circularity, it assumes a level of rigor comparable to any other relevant commercial information. Therefore, claims must be scientifically substantiated.

From 2026 onwards, generic claims such as “sustainable product,” “green company,” or “eco-friendly” will no longer be acceptable unless supported by demonstrably excellent environmental performance and recognized by independent certification systems. Even visual elements — colors, symbols, images — may constitute greenwashing if they mislead consumers.

One of the most sensitive aspects of the new European approach is how climate neutrality is communicated. The ECGT clearly distinguishes between emissions reduction and offsetting. Claiming that a product or service is “carbon neutral” based on carbon credits will be prohibited. The underlying message is unequivocal: offsetting is not the same as decarbonizing.

The directive also puts an end to the proliferation of environmental labels created by companies themselves. Internal seals, opaque classifications, or rankings without independent verification will no longer be admissible. In a market with hundreds of different labels, the European legislator has chosen to protect consumers through credibility, not creativity.

Perhaps the most profound change is the reversal of the burden of proof. It will no longer be up to authorities to demonstrate that a claim is misleading; companies must prove that it is true. Good intentions are no longer sufficient. The criterion becomes the actual impact of the message on the consumer.

In practice, the ECGT forces a convergence that has long been necessary: communication, data, and strategy must be aligned. Sustainability can no longer exist solely within marketing departments or institutional reports. It becomes a matter of governance, risk management, and corporate ethics.

More than a directive against greenwashing, the ECGT is a clear sign of the times we live in: fewer promises, more responsibility; fewer slogans, more substance. For some companies, this will be a challenge. For others, an opportunity to finally speak about sustainability with the seriousness the topic demands.

This new legal framework also exposes an uncomfortable reality: the level of sustainability knowledge in many organizations remains insufficient for the level of rigor now required. The expectations set by European regulation demand technical understanding, strategic maturity, and cross-functional literacy. Sustainability can no longer be confined to small teams or treated as a specialized topic disconnected from the business. On the contrary, it requires serious investment in internal capacity building, continuous training, and shared responsibility.

This training must extend across the entire organization — explicitly including marketing, communication, sales, and institutional relations — where the risk of greenwashing is most immediate. Communicating sustainability effectively requires understanding it. Without that knowledge, companies risk not only legal sanctions but also the loss of credibility at a time when trust is perhaps the scarcest asset.

Published on PT Green journal