The initiative aims to better protect consumers from misleading environmental statements and increase transparency Advertising assertions such as “climate-friendly” or “biodegradable” will in the future only be permissible if they are substantiated by evidence
The draft law implements two EU directives into German law Alongside the regulations for environmental claims, manipulative design patterns in financial service contracts will also be prohibited This includes making pre-selected options that benefit the company visually prominent and banning lengthy click-through processes that make it difficult for consumers to reach favorable choices
“`Environmentally friendly`, `climate neutral`, `biodegradable`: these advertising statements sound good at first glance” stated Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig “All too often, however, it remains unclear what exactly is meant by these terms – and whether the statement is even true We want to change that: anyone who advertises with environmental claims must be able to prove their assertions”
