The Government is revising the rules relating to green advertising as a survey reveals most shoppers believe a product's eco-credentials are just an excuse to increase prices.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is currently looking at strengthening what environmental claims companies can attach to their goods and services.
It follows an extensive consultation exercise that included a survey that found many people are so confused by the baffling language surrounding eco-credentials they cannot tell which products are actually better for the environment.
The study commissioned by the statutory watchdog Consumer Focus revealed 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.
Consumer Focus is now urging Defra to order companies to ensure their environmental claims are clear and robust before consumer confusion threatens to endanger the growing “green pound” market.
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 our research shows 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 survey of over 1,000 consumers suggests that even the most environmentally aware struggle to understand what adverts mean.
Shoppers 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 suspicion about how committed they actually are.
The poll also found most people want adverts to provide simple terms and information that allow them to compare and differentiate among brands easily.
Adverts supported by third-party endorsements from recognised organisations such as Fairtrade boost shoppers' confidence, as would those with an established common label for comparison, such as the A-G energy-efficiency rating used on white goods.
Consumer Focus is urging Defra to introduce rules that guarantee green advertising is credible, clear and to the point, and allows consumers to make simple, meaningful, ‘like for like’ comparisons between products and services.
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