More than half of all environmental claims in print ads would soon be inadmissible

info.link, The Goodwins and PLAN analyzed 2,200 advertisements from the 50 print media with the highest reach for their greenwashing potential.

164 advertisements contained environmental claims, particularly frequently in the cosmetics, food and furnishing/household sectors.
More than 50% of these green claims would no longer be permitted from September 2026 in accordance with the new EU “Empowering Consumers” (EmpCo) Directive.
There is already an urgent need for action today, as a landmark BGH ruling from summer 2024 anticipates key requirements of the EmpCo Directive.
However, in addition to great uncertainty, there are already best practices: Some companies are successfully relying on transparent information and digital evidence.

The requirements for sustainability communication are high and do not only apply to products. Traditional advertising, including print advertising, will also have to meet new standards in future. While last year's highly acclaimed “State of Green Claims 2024” report analyzed environmental claims on products, this year's focus is on print advertisements. The reason for this is a groundbreaking ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), which is closely aligned with the new EU Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) and is already forcing companies to take action. For the “State of Green Claims Report 2025”, info.link, The Goodwins and PLAN examined 2,200 advertisements from the 50 print media with the widest reach. The result: half of the green claims do not meet the EmpCo requirements - in retail and beverages, the figure is as high as three out of four.
Christian Kaeßmann, Managing Director of PLAN, says: “We are not aware of any study of this magnitude to date. Our systematic analysis of over 2,200 print advertisements makes it clear for the first time how green claims are actually being implemented and therefore offers all market participants a sound basis for identifying areas for optimization.”
The content analysis shows that climate-neutral advertising promises, which dominated the last few years, have completely disappeared. However, general, unproven environmental promises are still widespread. Vague and misleading terms such as “sustainable”, “environmentally friendly” or “green” are used particularly frequently. Only a third of green claims provide an explanation of the claims in plain language, leaving consumers to make up their own minds - a key problem that the EmpCo Directive aims to address.

Even more serious: a landmark BGH ruling from summer 2024 has significantly tightened the requirements for environmental advertising in Germany - and is already closely aligned with the requirements of the EmpCo Directive. Dr. Daniel Kendziur, partner at the law firm SKW Schwarz, comments: “Key requirements of the EmpCo Directive, which must be applied as national law from September 2026 at the latest, are already having a de facto effect today as a result of the BGH ruling on ‘climate neutrality’. Companies that do not act in time are exposing themselves to considerable legal risks. And the legal requirements will become even stricter from 2026.”

However, the requirements for environmental claims will also be further tightened beyond the EmpCo Directive: the EU Green Claims Directive will prescribe additional binding standards for the verification and transparency of explicit environmental claims. This is currently being finalized in trilogue negotiations between the Parliament, Council and Commission. To date, only 12% of the print ads with environmental claims examined meet basic requirements such as direct access to specific evidence or independent verification, for example via a QR code or link. This shows how urgently clear rules are needed - and why the Green Claims Directive continues to be pushed forward.

“Contrary to popular belief, the EU Green Claims Directive will continue to be driven forward and will not be replaced or deleted by the so-called omnibus regulations. While these primarily simplify reporting obligations, the directive is about consumer protection - companies should therefore prepare themselves for the fact that transparency will soon become even more important for environmental claims in addition to the relevant message itself,” says Bernd Meyer, Managing Director of The Goodwins.

But how do companies succeed in future-proofing their advertising? The report also shows that particularly convincing advertisements already combine several key elements. They offer a clear, understandable explanation directly in the ad so that consumers can immediately grasp the key environmental benefits. Companies that could serve as a model for future standards go one step further and also integrate a QR code directly into the advertisement to make further information accessible. Ideally, this would lead to a specific information page with detailed explanations and evidence verified by independent third parties.

Max Ackermann, founder of the info.link platform, says: “Meeting the guidelines is not difficult - it is also an opportunity to lead the market. Companies that document green claims transparently and offer specific information via QR code gain trust, customer insights and a new communication channel. Those who focus on digital connectivity today will set the standard of tomorrow.”

The full “State of Green Claims Report 2025 - Print” with many exciting findings is available to download here: Download

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