Environmental claims that hold up to CMA and ASA scrutiny.
Green claims are the fastest-growing area of UK advertising enforcement. The CMA Green Claims Code and ASA's active monitoring programme mean that 'carbon neutral', 'net zero', and 'sustainable' require careful qualification, current evidence, and a reviewable substantiation record.
Why environmental claims are under active enforcement.
The CMA's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 powers allow it to fine companies up to 10% of global turnover for misleading environmental claims : without going through the courts. Its first investigations under this regime launched in November 2025. British Gas (March 2026), Hive (March 2026), and Superdry (December 2025) all had ASA complaints upheld for unsubstantiated or insufficiently qualified environmental claims.
The CMA Green Claims Code sets six principles for legitimate environmental claims: truthful, clear and unambiguous, not omitting material information, comparing like with like, not relating to unavoidable impacts, and substantiated. Each principle requires documented evidence that the claim meets the standard.
“CMA Green Claims Code: environmental claims must be 'accurate and able to be substantiated' with 'robust, credible and up-to-date evidence.'”
How Veridat helps
- Evidence held before the claim is published : not retrieved after a complaint
- Timestamped approval records with named approver and conditions
- Lifecycle alerts when evidence expires or conditions change
The claims sustainability teams need to govern.
Each of these claim types requires documentary evidence to be held before publication. Veridat governs the intake, evidence, and approval of each one.
Net zero claims
'Net zero by 2030'
OBJECTIVEReduction claims
'50% reduction in carbon emissions'
ENVIRONMENTALMaterial claims
'Made from sustainable materials'
ENVIRONMENTALCertification claims
'Carbon neutral certified'
OBJECTIVEThe sustainability claims library : every claim with its evidence, approval status, and reuse record.
How Sustainability teams use Veridat
Extract and classify
Paste sustainability copy. Veridat identifies likely claims and surfaces regulatory risk signals before review.
Attach evidence and review
Link certifications, studies, or compliance documents. Route to legal with evidence and AI signals already attached.
Approve and reuse
Approved wording : with its conditions : lives in the governed library. Reuse without a new review.
Substantiate environmental claims before enforcement does.
Built for teams navigating the CMA Green Claims Code, ASA CAP Code, and CSRD requirements.
14-day free trial · No credit card required · Built for UK-regulated teams