Competition Bureau Launches Public Consultation on Environmental Claims Guidelines
The Competition Bureau is inviting Canadians to provide feedback on its proposed guidelines concerning environmental claims. These guidelines aim to help businesses assess whether their environmental claims comply with the Competition Act, including the new greenwashing provisions added in June 2024.
Key Points:
- Guidelines for Businesses: The proposed guidelines do not dictate when or how businesses can make environmental claims but emphasize that these claims must be truthful, not misleading, and adequately substantiated.
- Feedback Welcome: The Bureau encourages interested parties to submit their feedback on the proposed guidelines by February 28, 2025, via email to: environmentalclaims-declarationsenvironnementales@cb-bc.gc.ca.
- Transparency: All submissions will be published on the Bureau's website unless confidentiality is requested.
- Next Steps: Following the consultation, the Bureau will release finalized guidelines.
Background:
- Greenwashing Provisions: The Competition Act now includes provisions explicitly targeting greenwashing, requiring that environmental claims about products and business activities be based on adequate and proper testing or substantiation.
- Increased Penalties: Amendments to the Competition Act in June 2022 raised penalties for misleading advertising and deceptive marketing practices.
Reporting Greenwashing:
The Bureau urges anyone who suspects deceptive environmental marketing claims to report them using the online form on their website.