Update:  January 2026

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Is Your Sustainability Copy Greenwashing-Compliant? 

GREENWASHING TERMS EXPLAINED

In 2026, one of the most common questions sustainability, legal, and marketing teams are asking is:

“Is this wording compliant — or is it a greenwashing risk?”

Environmental and sustainability claims are now being assessed under explicit regulatory standards, not marketing intent. Statements that once felt safe — “eco-friendly,” “carbon neutral,” “sustainable,” “net zero,” “responsibly sourced” — are increasingly triggering compliance reviews, regulator scrutiny, and post-publication investigations.

The challenge is not ambition.
It is language, scope, and evidence.

Why Sustainability Language Is Now a Compliance Issue

New and expanded regulations mean that sustainability copy is no longer treated as branding — it is treated as a regulated claim.

Authorities such as:

• The UK CMA (Green Claims Code)

• The EU CSRD and related Green Claims Directive

• The FTC Green Guides (US)

• Advertising standards and investor disclosure regulators globally

are asking the same questions:

• What exactly is being claimed?

• Is the claim specific or vague?

• Does the wording imply more than the evidence supports?

• Would this statement survive a regulatory challenge?

This applies not just to sustainability reports, but to websites, packaging, PR, investor materials, and product pages.

The Hidden Risk: Over-Claiming Without Realising It

Most greenwashing risk is unintentional.

Teams often ask:

• Is this copy risky under new greenwashing regulations?

• Does this wording imply Scope 3 coverage when we only have partial data?

• Are we overstating impact, certainty, or timelines?

• Could this claim be challenged if a regulator or journalist reviewed it line by line?

Traditional ESG reviews often focus on what to say.
What’s missing is a fast way to assess what not to say — or how to say it safely.

Why Claim Pressure-Testing Matters Before Publishing

EcoAppraise exists to answer a simple but critical question before content goes live:

Is this sustainability claim defensible under current greenwashing and ESG disclosure rules?

By pressure-testing language against known regulatory expectations, EcoAppraise helps organisations:

• Identify greenwashing risk in sustainability copy

• Spot over-broad or implied claims

• Flag evidence gaps before publication

• Reduce legal, regulatory, and reputational exposure

• Move faster without relying solely on slow, expensive compliance cycles

This is especially important as sustainability communication accelerates across digital channels, where copy often moves faster than compliance review.

Why This Matters Now

Greenwashing enforcement is increasing, not decreasing.
Regulators are acting retroactively.
Public scrutiny is intensifying.

In this environment, credible sustainability communication isn’t about stronger claims — it’s about safer ones.

If you’re publishing environmental or ESG content in 2026, the question is no longer “Does this sound good?”
It’s:

“Would this wording hold up under regulatory, legal, or reputational scrutiny?”

That’s why this matters.

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