Who Gets to Decide What's 'Green'? Efforts to Create Standards are Sparking a Heated Debate

Today's booming interest in sustainable fashion has changed the way brands market their products, making it increasingly difficult to decipher true environmental claims from those that are just greenwashing — using feel-good claims to sell fashion items at higher prices or gain social standing without actually improving the environment. Recent efforts to introduce standardized rules governing how brands back up environmental claims fuel a heated debate that stands to create winners and losers in the sustainable fashion space, giving rise to one major question: Who gets to decide what's green?

The Background

The European Commission, which is already working on rules requiring companies to use specific terms—such as biodegradable and recyclable—to identify products, is also looking at how claims such as green and ecological can be used. The effort comes as part of an overhaul of existing EU labeling laws under an environmental agenda called Green Public Procurement. The issue is turning into a political hot potato for Brussels. Some countries, including Germany and France, have been pushing for more stringent standards that could require fashion brands to back up their sustainability claims with third-party certification. Others fear that too much regulation will stifle innovation in Europe's fashion industry.

How Brands Back Up Their Claims

There are no definitive criteria for what makes something green. Manufacturers claim that their fabrics and production methods are eco-friendly, but it isn't always clear how they got there or if it really is better than other options on the market. The EU aims to change that with standardized rules governing how brands back up environmental claims.

Challenges Consumers Face When Trying to Locate Details on How a Product Was Made

The average shopper can't tell if a product is green or not. That's according to The Sustainability Consortium, which recently conducted an online survey of 500 Americans. According to survey findings, 73 percent of respondents said they have difficulty locating information on how products were made. As sustainability becomes more important, shoppers say it should be easier to find out how brands make their products.

Holding Companies Accountable

The new rules won't make it easy for brands that have been playing fast and loose with environmental claims. In their quest to jump on trends, companies often bend or even break industry standards. It's no secret that many mass-market brands don't use natural fibers (or much fiber at all) in their clothes, instead turning to nonbiodegradable synthetics as they seek price competitiveness with less environmentally aware brands.

The Way Forward

The European Commission recently proposed a regulation that would empower its executive branch, not member states, to define standards for assessing the environmental performance of products in general and textile and clothing products in particular. In addition, member states would be prohibited from setting stricter national rules for sustainable production. After years of pushback from industry groups concerned about overzealous regulations, the decision came. And many argue that without clear EU-wide rules, Europe risks losing ground on sustainability amid competition from regions with fewer trade barriers, like Asia. But others say European policymakers should have a say in what constitutes green or sustainable. For example, if brands claim their product is made from recycled materials, how can consumers know whether it's true? Or if they say their factory is powered by solar energy, how can they verify it? Without standardized criteria across all 28 member states, there's no way to ensure companies aren't greenwashing—or making false claims about their environmental impact.

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