FTC Issues Revised “Green Guides”

After two years of public comment and review, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a revised version of its “Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.” Also known as the “Green Guides,” the publication outlines what the FTC may find to be deceptive marketing; the revised version includes updates and new sections on carbon offsets, certifications, and renewable energy and materials.

Most of the revisions proposed in 2010 (see “FTC Cracks Down on Greenwashing”) were accepted, including the warning that broad claims of being environmentally friendly “suggest that the product has specific and far-reaching environmental benefits [that are] nearly impossible to substantiate.” Among its revised sections, the guide says marketers should disclose any “material connections” to groups providing certification or seals of approval, and carbon offsets should not be advertised as such if the activity providing them is already required by law.

For more information, see www.ftc.gov.