2024-05-13
BRUSSELS/AMSTERDAM - According to the European Commission, half of the sustainability claims on company websites are unproven, vague, unclear or downright deceptive. Clothing companies in particular use terms such as 'sustainable' more frequently than other companies without providing further information. Since 2021, both the Dutch and Belgian governments have been searching the internet for misleading sustainability claims.
Between May 2023 and April 2024, Belgian journalist Sarah Vandoorne interviewed 12 apparel companies. Seven of these received inspections and five received warnings in 2022. During the same period, Dutch journalist Nora Veerman interviewed 10 clothing companies, three of which were challenged by consumer authorities over misleading sustainability claims.
Veerman and Vandoorne also held in-depth discussions with the agencies responsible for conducting greenwashing inspections. In Belgium, this is the Economic Inspection of the Federal Public Service Economy; in the Netherlands, it is the Consumer and Market Authority. They also spoke to business consultants, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), industry associations and professors specialising in sustainability reporting and consumer law.
Fiore Farhand was also involved, finally. As part of her Master's degree in Critical Fashion Practices, she collaborated on this research project, conducting a comparative study of sustainability pages on brand websites.
Supported
€8,430 allocated on 04/12/2023ID
LOCAL/2023/020Grant
Tags
PRINT/ONLINE
- Overheid maakt jacht op greenwashing Belgische modesector, Apache, 13/05/2024.
- Boetes voor greenwashing kunnen oplopen tot €80.000. Torfs gecontroleerd, JBC gewaarschuwd, De Morgen, 13/05/2024.
- Boetes voor greenwashing kunnen oplopen tot €80.000. Zo vermijdt u er een, Trends, 21/05/2024
- Communiceren over “duurzame mode” is greenwashing, nieuwe chatbot Josie stelt alternatief voor, Fashionunited.nl, 24/04/2025.
LANDEN
- België
- Nederland
need resources for your own investigative story?
Journalismfund Europe's flexible grants programmes enable journalists to produce relevant public interest stories with a European mind-set from international, national, and regional perspectives.
support independent cross-border investigative journalism
We rely on your support to continue the work that we do. Make a gift of any amount today.
