The Nordic consumer authorities have issued a joint statement on certain climate claims used in marketing. Many companies make claims that describe their products and services as, for example, ‘climate neutral’, ‘climate compensated’ or ‘net-zero’.


This view is based on a ruling made by the Swedish Patent and Market Court in 2023. The Court prohibited Arla Foods AB from using the claim ‘net-zero climate impact’ and similar misleading claims that gave consumers the impression that the product had no climate impact or that the impact was fully compensated, even though this was not the case.


According to Nordic consumer authorities, it is important for companies to describe concrete measures, such as carbon sequestration, rather than marketing their products and services with general claims about climate compensation that most companies have difficulty proving.


In Finland, the Finnish Consumer Ombudsman has intervened several times in unlawful environmental marketing and demanded changes to environmental claims made by Finnair, Marimekko and Stockmann, Froneri Finland, Vattenfall and Fortum.


 


Nordic statement on climate compensation claims in marketing

Nordic Authorities Address Misleading Climate Claims in Marketing

The Nordic consumer authorities have jointly addressed certain climate claims used in marketing, emphasizing the need for companies to provide concrete measures like carbon sequestration rather than vague claims of climate neutrality.

                        A ruling by the Swedish Patent and Market Court in 2023, which prohibited Arla Foods AB from using misleading claims like 'net-zero climate impact', served as the basis for the authorities' statement. The court found such claims gave consumers a false impression of the product's environmental impact.

                        In Finland, the Finnish Consumer Ombudsman has taken action against unlawful environmental marketing by companies like Finnair, Marimekko, Stockmann, Froneri Finland, Vattenfall, and Fortum, demanding changes to their environmental claims.



Nordic Authorities Address Misleading Climate Claims in Marketing

Nordic consumer authorities have issued a statement cautioning against misleading climate claims like 'net-zero' in marketing, following a court ruling against Arla Foods AB.