Company claims endanger market for green products

People in Britain cannot tell which products are better for the environment amid the array of companies' green advertising claims. Many think companies pretend to be green as an excuse to hike their prices, a major new study by Consumer Focus reveals today.

Two thirds of consumers say they are not sure how to tell if claims made by companies advertising green products - from household cleaners to cars and energy - are true. Only one in five people think it is not possible for companies to make false claims about their products' environmental credentials.

When promoting green products or services, companies must ensure claims are clear and robust or widespread confusion will tip into cynicism, putting the whole market for the ‘green pound' in danger, Consumer Focus warns.

Lucy Yates, sustainability expert at Consumer Focus, said: ‘Even now, when money is tighter than ever, people still want to buy products that are better for the environment. But they are being bombarded with complex and conflicting claims and do not know who or what to believe. Green must mean green, or consumers will switch off and simply turn their backs on sustainable choices. That would not only damage the environment but business too.'

The in-depth research for Consumer Focus suggests that even the most environmentally aware consumers struggle to understand what adverts mean. Consumers are baffled by the use of technical terms such as ‘carbon offset', ‘carbon neutral' and ‘carbon capture and storage'. Claims that companies ‘plan to' or are ‘working to' deliver green benefits generate scepticism about how committed they are.

Most people want adverts to provide simple terms and information that allow them to compare and differentiate products among brands easily. They tell us that adverts backed by third party endorsements from recognised organisations such as Fairtrade, or by an independent study, would boost their confidence, as would adverts with an established common label for comparison, such as the A-G energy efficiency rating used on white goods.

As government prepares to update the rules, Consumer Focus is calling for green claims to be credible, clear and to the point and to allow consumers to make simple, meaningful, ‘like for like' comparisons between products and services.