UK regulator CMA drops Unilever ‘greenwashing’ probe

By Julia Wray | Published: 11-Nov-2024

The Competition and Markets Authority closed the investigation following changes to Unilever’s product claims

An investigation into Unilever’s green claims by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been dropped.

The decision took a range of factors into account, according to the regulator, including changes Unilever made to claims on some of its products.

The regulator launched the investigation last December to ascertain whether the beauty company was overstating the ‘greenness’ of its products through “vague and broad” claims. 

At the time, the CMA said its initial review had uncovered a range of “concerning” practices from the FMCG giant.

These included statements and language it considered vague and which could mislead shoppers, as well as ingredient claims exaggerating how natural Unilever’s products are. 

The CMA also looked into whether Unilever focused on a single aspect of a product while suggesting its eco-friendliness as a whole.

It finally raised concern over Unilever’s use of colours and imagery – such as green leaves – which may create the impression that some products are more environmentally-friendly than they actually are.

The probe followed a January 2023 expansion of the CMA’s work on environmental claims to encompass FMCG items, including toiletries.

The European Union (EU) is also cracking down on greenwashing.

In March 2023, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a directive on green claims.

The European Parliament adopted its first-reading position on 12 March 2024 and the Council approved a general approach on 17 June 2024, which means EU greenwashing regulations are now at the inter-institutional negotiations stage.

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