Making reliable claims and applying the ‘Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information’ - A workshop for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about the impact of their purchases on the environment. Searches for sustainable goods increased a staggering 71% over the past five years, even accelerating with the COVID-19 pandemic. But in a world where greenwashing – a term coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westervelt and referring to companies using vague, misleading or false claims to suggest their products are more eco-friendly than they actually are – is increasingly prevalent, how do consumer know if what they are buying is actually a better choice for the planet?

With 42 % of environmental claims made on websites being exaggerated, it is not always evident for consumers to look beyond buzzwords such as ‘sustainable’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘conscious’ and ‘responsible’ to see if brands have detailed policies to back up their claims. Companies offering sustainably-made products as a baseline, as well as adopting more circular business models, would – of course – make it much easier for those consumers trying to reduce their environmental footprint. For now though, giving shoppers as much information as possible is key. 

However, SMEs – even the most virtuous ones in terms of sustainability work – are often struggling with how to convey this information and to present the sustainability credentials of their products in a clear and trustworthy way. Against this backdrop, the Consumer Information Programme, with the support of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), is organizing a training workshop targeting SMEs to assess their claims against the Guidelines for Providing Products Sustainability Information to improve the way they communicate and identify best practices.

Participation in this capacity building workshop is an opportunity for small businesses to contribute to the implementation of SDG 12 in an effective and practical way, by discovering how to start communicating with consumers about sustainability, self-assess and hence improve the way they are conveying product sustainability information. The training will provide SMEs with a competitive advantage by drawing on edgy references and best practices examples to promote their efforts on consumer information locally and internationally.

Workshops are organized on

 2 December 2021, 9 am – 12 pm (CET) in ENGLISH

Registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/0EsmThZWdZ

9 December 2021, 1 pm – 4 pm (CET) in FRENCH

Registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/7pckc0909P