EmpCo is changing the rules for sustainability claims. What does it mean for businesses?
The EU’s Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) is coming into force in a few days, bringing new requirements for environmental claims and sustainability labels. The aim is to give consumers greater clarity about the environmental information they see when they shop. But what does this mean in practice? And will it help consumers make more informed choices?
What you need to know and why a credible certification system matters
The sustainability landscape has become increasingly crowded. Businesses are making more environmental and social claims, while consumers are encountering a growing number of labels and symbols on products.
That can make it difficult to understand what a claim actually means, what evidence supports it and whether the organisation making it can be trusted.
EmpCo is intended to address some of these challenges by setting clearer expectations for sustainability claims and labels.
1. Claims need substance behind them
Businesses will need to ensure that environmental claims are appropriately substantiated and do not mislead consumers. Broad claims such as green, eco-friendly or sustainable face greater scrutiny, and evidence and specificity is necessary to support what is communicated.
This is an important shift. Rather than simply asking whether a sustainability statement sounds positive, consumers should be able to have greater confidence that there is something meaningful behind it.
For businesses, this means looking beyond the wording of a claim to the evidence, requirements and processes that support it.
2. A label is only as credible as the system behind it
The same principle applies to sustainability labels.
A label can help consumers navigate a complex marketplace, but its value depends on what it represents. What requirements does it stand for? How are those requirements defined? Who checks whether they are being met? And how independent is that process?
EmpCo introduces requirements concerning sustainability labelling schemes, including their governance and verification which puts greater emphasis on the systems behind.
3. Independent verification provides confidence
Independent verification is an important part of a credible certification system. It provides assurance that compliance with defined requirements is assessed by an independent third party rather than relying solely on a business’s own declarations.
A robust certification system therefore brings together several elements: clearly defined requirements, a transparent process for assessing compliance and independent oversight of that process.
For consumers, this can make sustainability information easier to trust.
An opportunity for companies serious about sustainability
EmpCo is not simply about restricting what businesses can say. It creates an opportunity for companies that are serious about their sustainability efforts to demonstrate them more clearly.
Many businesses are already investing in more responsible sourcing, environmental improvements and social sustainability. But the work that sits behind these efforts can be difficult to communicate to consumers in a way that is both meaningful and credible.
A credible certification system can help bridge that gap.
Instead of relying on broad statements, businesses can use defined standards and independent verification to demonstrate what their sustainability commitments mean in practice. And instead of asking consumers to take a company's word for it, certification can provide an independent basis for the claims associated with a product.
This can also help businesses bring greater consistency to their sustainability communication, connecting what happens in sourcing and supply chains with what consumers see on the pack.
Ultimately, the opportunity is to make credible sustainability efforts more visible, while giving consumers clearer information on which to base their choices.
Where Fairtrade fits in
Fairtrade has worked through an independently verified certification system for decades. The Fairtrade Standards define the requirements producers and traders must meet, while independent certification and monitoring assess compliance with those requirements.
FLOCERT, the main certification body for Fairtrade, is accredited against ISO 17065, the internationally recognised standard for bodies operating product certification systems. Its certification operations are subject to external oversight by DAkkS, the German accreditation body.
Together, the Standards, certification system and independent oversight provide the foundation behind the Fairtrade Mark, giving businesses an established system through which to implement and communicate their sustainability commitments.
This matters in a changing sustainability landscape. As consumers are asked to navigate an increasing number of environmental claims and labels, businesses need partners whose claims are backed by clear standards, evidence and independent verification.
EmpCo is raising the bar for sustainability communication. For businesses, it is an opportunity to work with credible certification systems that can help turn meaningful sustainability efforts into claims that consumers can understand and trust.
Please note: this article does not constitute legal advice.