Should we take down our climate-neutral claim just to be safe?
We don’t have an officially recognized certificate for this at all.
What do we do with the thousands of packages that still carry old claims?
Do we actually have reliable data to support this CO2 claim?
Which sustainability claims are still allowed?
Marketing wants to go live, but Legal still says no.
We urgently need to review all of our sustainability communications.
What data do authorities or advisors actually expect?
Our data is a complete mess. Who is responsible for this?
When companies think about EmpCo, product packaging is often the first thing that comes to mind. In practice, many companies are currently reviewing environmental claims, removing sustainability statements or making short-term changes to their packaging. At the same time, numerous marketing materials and website contents are being updated.
But that is only the tip of the iceberg. The real challenge begins where sustainability claims need to be backed up with reliable evidence. This requires emissions data, KPIs, supplier information, strategies and documentation to be brought together – often from different departments and systems.
EmpCo is therefore more than just a marketing issue.
It is a data, process and organisational challenge.
From this date, the new EmpCo rules apply in EU Member States.
Existing communications must be updated by the deadline.
Non-compliant claims can lead to costly legal action and required changes.
EmpCo affects websites, packaging, advertising, and other B2C use cases.
With the EmpCo Directive taking effect on September 27, many companies have little time left. If you have not yet reviewed your sustainability communications, now is the time to identify the biggest risks and prioritize the most important actions.
Create a complete overview of all environmental and sustainability claims – across packaging, websites, product pages, brochures, social media and other marketing materials.
Assess which claims are particularly critical and check whether reliable evidence, data, or certificates are available. Start by prioritizing claims with high visibility and the greatest legal risk.
Determine which packaging, websites, product information or marketing materials need to be updated in the short term. Start with the measures that will have the greatest impact on reducing your risk.
Use our EmpCo Readiness Checklist to assess, step by step, how well prepared you already are for the EmpCo Directive.
Reviewing existing claims in the short term is only the first step. In the long term, sustainability information needs to be organized so that new claims can be reliably substantiated whenever greenwashing concerns arise.
Manage emissions, KPIs, documentation and other ESG data in one central location instead of spreading it across Excel files and standalone solutions.
Create a traceable basis for environmental and sustainability claims, including calculations, documentation and supporting evidence.
Ensure that new sustainability claims follow a consistent review and approval process.
Create a shared data foundation so that everyone involved works with the same information.
Continuously track measures, KPIs and targets and document their development in a traceable way.
Ensure that relevant information, calculations and evidence are quickly available – without time-consuming research across different departments.
With Envoria, you can use exactly the software modules and features you need for your EmpCo requirements. This creates a structured foundation for your data, strategies and evidence – and for substantiated sustainability claims.
Support sustainability claims with reliable KPIs
Capture and manage relevant sustainability KPIs centrally and document their development in a traceable way.
Put CO2 claims on a reliable data foundation
Calculate, document, and analyze emissions, and make progress on reductions transparent and traceable.
Capture sustainability information from your supply chain in a structured way
Bring together relevant supplier information and create transparency around sustainability data and risks across your supply chain.
Back sustainability targets with a concrete strategy
Translate long-term targets such as Net Zero into strategies, interim targets, and concrete measures, and document progress.
Turn commitments into demonstrable progress
Plan and manage sustainability measures and clearly demonstrate which activities contribute to achieving your targets.
Make evidence available where it is needed
Store documents and other supporting evidence in a structured way in the Document Hub, creating a traceable basis for your sustainability information.
The new EmpCo rules apply from September 27, 2026. They affect companies that communicate with or sell to consumers and use environmental or sustainability claims. Relevant touchpoints include product packaging, websites and online shops, advertising, social media and sales materials. Brand, product, or company names may also be relevant when connected to environmental claims.
General environmental claims such as “sustainable”, “environmentally friendly” or “green” will be subject to significantly stricter restrictions and may only be used under certain conditions. Climate-neutrality claims are particularly relevant: product-related claims about neutral, reduced, or positive environmental impacts must not be based on the offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions. Companies should therefore not assume that having evidence automatically makes every claim permissible.
In the future, sustainability labels may generally only be used if they are based on a certification scheme or established by public authorities. Companies should therefore review their own labels and sustainability seals in particular and determine whether they meet the new requirements. A certificate alone also does not automatically make every associated sustainability claim permissible.
Claims about future environmental performance are also subject to stricter requirements. Future claims must be based on clear, objective, publicly available, and verifiable commitments and targets, and supported by a realistic implementation plan; progress must be regularly verified by an independent third party. An ambitious climate target alone is therefore not sufficient.
Envoria helps companies build and manage the data foundation behind their sustainability communications in a structured way. Depending on the use case, this can include calculating and documenting emissions data, managing sustainability KPIs, tracking strategies and measures, or centrally storing documents and supporting evidence.
This enables relevant information to be managed in a structured way over the long term and makes it easier to trace and substantiate, for example, CO₂ reductions, sustainability KPIs, or progress towards long-term climate targets.
