From 27 September 2026, stricter European rules on environmental and sustainability claims in consumer communication will apply. Terms such as “green”, “sustainable”, “environmentally friendly” or “carbon neutral” can no longer be used without a clear factual basis. Claims must be specific, properly substantiated and verifiable. The changes are also important for tourism providers, who increasingly include sustainability in the presentation of accommodation, experiences and other services.
The new rules stem from Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition, which aims to provide consumers with more reliable information and strengthen protection against misleading green advertising, or so-called greenwashing. Member States were required to transpose the rules into national law, and they will apply from 27 September 2026.
Fewer general promises, more specific data
Among the most exposed are general environmental claims such as “green”, “environmentally friendly”, “eco”, “climate friendly” or similar statements if a company cannot demonstrate appropriate and recognised environmental performance to support them.
The new rules also prevent companies from presenting an environmental benefit relating to only one small part of an offer as if it applied to the entire product, service or business. If, for example, only one part of an activity has been environmentally improved, communication must not create the broader impression that the whole company or offer is therefore “sustainable”.
This is particularly important in tourism. Instead of generally stating that a hotel or tourism service is “environmentally friendly”, it will be more appropriate to communicate specific and verifiable facts – for example, the share of electricity from renewable sources, reduced water consumption, reduced waste or the use of locally sourced materials.
The key is to make it clear what the claim actually refers to: energy, mobility, waste management, food, packaging, an individual service or the organisation’s operations as a whole.
Carbon neutrality and future targets also require attention
Particular attention will need to be paid to climate-related claims. Among the practices explicitly prohibited by the directive are claims that a product or service has a neutral, reduced or positive impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions when such a claim is based on emissions offsetting.
Stricter conditions also apply to promises about future environmental performance. Claims about future targets must be based on clear, objective and verifiable commitments, supported by a realistic plan, measurable and time-bound targets, and appropriate monitoring of progress.
For this reason, a statement that a company will, for example, be “fully sustainable by 2030”, without clearly defining what this means and how the target will be achieved, may pose a risk.
Proprietary “green labels” are no longer enough
An important change also concerns sustainability labels and marks. The directive prohibits the display of a sustainability label that is not based on an appropriate certification scheme or established by a public authority. Certification schemes must include transparent criteria and independent third-party verification.
For tourism providers, this means it is advisable to review all green, environmental and sustainability labels used on websites, at properties, in offers, catalogues or advertisements, and establish the basis on which they are being used.
Existing content will also need to be reviewed
The changes do not apply only to new advertising. Companies must also review environmental claims and sustainability labels already used in commercial communication.
This includes websites, descriptions of offers and products, booking pages, social media, brochures, catalogues, advertisements, presentations, packaging, labels and other materials intended for consumers.
For every environmental message, it is advisable to check:
- what exactly is being claimed and which part of the offer the claim relates to;
- whether there are current and verifiable data or evidence supporting the claim;
- whether the certificates and sustainability labels used are based on an appropriate scheme;
- whether the wording, photographs and graphic elements create a broader “green” impression than the facts support;
- whether the documentation on which the claim is based can also be demonstrated and verified at a later stage.
Zelena Slovenija has prepared a free practical guide
To help companies, Zelena Slovenija has prepared a Practical Guide to Environmental Claims and Sustainability Labels, which explains the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/825 and provides guidance for reviewing existing environmental communication.
The guide covers claims on websites, packaging, labels, advertisements, catalogues, sales presentations and social media. It focuses in particular on areas such as recycling and recycled content, repairability, product durability, carbon footprint and packaging.
It is intended for company management, sustainability and ESG professionals, marketing, sales, legal and technical departments, and others involved in preparing and approving environmental messages.
The guide is available free of charge in electronic form and can also serve as a useful starting point for tourism companies and providers wishing to review their websites, promotional materials and sustainability claims before the new rules start to apply.
From “green” slogans to verifiable results
The new rules do not mean that companies will no longer be allowed to communicate their environmental efforts. On the contrary, they will still be able to present achieved results, measures and progress, but communication will need to be more precise and supported by facts.
For tourism providers, it therefore makes sense to move away from broad slogans such as “sustainable accommodation” or “environmentally friendly holidays” towards specific information about what the provider is actually doing, what results have been achieved and which data or certificates can be used to prove them.
Such communication is important not only for compliance with the new rules, but can also provide visitors with clearer and more credible information when choosing tourism services.
Sources: Zelena Slovenija, European Commission, Directive (EU) 2024/825.
