Consumer trust in sustainability claims is slipping. GlobeScan’s 2025 research found trust in brands’ sustainability messaging fell from 74% in 2023 to 65% in 2025.
Regulators have stepped in to protect consumers. The CMA can now fine companies up to 10% of global turnover for misleading claims, and major retailers have already signed formal undertakings to change how they market their fashion ranges. In the EU, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive now restricts generic environmental claims and unverified sustainability labels.
The picture remains incomplete. The EU Green Claims Directive, which would set out how claims must be substantiated, is still stalled. For an industry that plans seasons in advance, this creates a particular problem. Care labels, swing tags and product copy are signed off months before garments reach shelves, so brands must decide today what they can say about products that will be judged under tomorrow’s rules. Fear of getting it wrong has pushed many into silence. Greenhushing carries its own cost, holding back consumer understanding and making investment in better practice harder to defend.
In this 60 minute webinar with Q&A, speakers from the CMA and the European Commission will take us through the key policy considerations and what credible communication looks like under the current rules.
This session will not be recorded, to allow an open and frank exchange. A summary article will follow.
Policy Officer
European Commission
Chair and Co-founder
Innovation Forum
