ASCI proposes guidelines to check greenwashing in ads

ASCI proposes guidelines to check greenwashing in ads

Subject :Polity

Section: National body

Context:

• To ensure that advertisers’ green claims are true and evidence-based, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has proposed guidelines that aim to bring transparency and accountability in environmental claims-based advertising.

About the draft guidelines by ASCI:

• These guidelines also aim to check greenwashing.
• The draft guidelines focus on various green claims, including positive impact on environment, carbon offset, and biodegradable claims.
• These guidelines set a standard for advertisers and aim to foster a culture of transparency and authenticity in advertising in the best interest of the consumers.

Salient features of the draft guidelines:

• The absolute claims such as ‘environment friendly’, ‘eco-friendly’ ‘sustainable’, and ‘planet friendly’ must be supported by a “high level of substantiation”.
• The advertisers must also specify whether the environmental claim refers to the entire product, packaging or service.
• The advertisers must disclose if the reduction in emission will occur only in two years or over a longer time period. Ads also cannot make carbon offset-related claims that represent an emission reduction that is required by law.
• The green claims must be based on the “full life cycle” of the advertised product or service.
• Claims that are based on only part of an advertised product or service’s life cycle must not mislead consumers about the total environmental impact of the product or service.
• Misleading consumers:
  • Brands cannot mislead consumers about the environmental benefits by highlighting the absence of a damaging ingredient if it is not usually found in competing products.
  • Certifications and Seals of Approval should make clear which attributes of the product or service have been evaluated by the certifier, and the basis of such certification provided. Certifications and seals used in an advertisement should be from a nationally or internationally recognised certifying authority.
  • Visual elements in an ad should not give a false impression about the product/service being advertised.
  • Advertisers should refrain from making aspirational claims of their future environmental objectives, unless they have developed actionable plans.
  • For claims pertaining to the product being compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, non-toxic, free-of, advertisers should qualify the aspects to which such claims are being attributed.
  • They should be backed by “reliable scientific evidence” to indicate if the product will break down within a reasonably short period of time after disposal, and whether the product is free of elements that can lead to environmental hazards.

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI):

• It is a voluntary self-regulatory organization of the advertising industry in India.
• Established in 1985.
• It is registered as a non-profit company under section 25 of the Company Act.
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• It seeks to ensure that advertisements conform to its Code for Self-Regulation, which requires advertisements to be legal, decent, honest and truthful, and not hazardous or harmful while observing fairness in competition.
• It looks into complaints across ALL MEDIA such as Print, TV, Radio, hoardings, SMS, Emailers, Internet/web-site, product packaging, brochures, promotional material and point of sale material etc.
• It’s role has been acclaimed by various Government bodies including the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of AYUSH as well as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Source: TH Businessline