On 30 April 2025, the Danish Consumer Ombudsman issued a press release announcing increased regulatory focus on environmental marketing in the fashion and textile industry. Businesses in the sector are encouraged to review their environmental claims to ensure compliance with applicable legislation, in particular the prohibition against misleading marketing.
The initiative is based on an open letter issued by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), a global network comprising more than 25 consumer protection authorities, including the Danish Consumer Ombudsman.
The letter is addressed specifically to stakeholders in the fashion and textile industry and sets out a number of recommendations and reminders regarding the proper use of environmental and sustainability-related claims in marketing. It emphasizes that such claims must comply with applicable legal requirements and be supported by solid and verifiable documentation.
Authorities therefore call on the industry to review all environmental marketing statements — including terms such as "sustainable", "environmentally friendly", "climate neutral", and "recyclable" — and to ensure that such claims are not misleading but are adequately substantiated and clearly presented in a manner that is easily understood by consumers.
The ICPEN letter represents the latest in a series of national and international initiatives aimed at promoting greater transparency in environmental marketing and protecting consumers against misleading green claims. The initiative is consistent with developments at the EU level, where the European Commission has recently proposed the Green Claims Directive and adopted amendments to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Further information on these developments is available in our previous Insights here and here.
It should also be noted that the Danish Consumer Ombudsman has maintained a sustained focus on environmental marketing in recent years, leading to a significant number of enforcement actions in this area. In the press release, the Consumer Ombudsman notes that particular attention has been devoted to greenwashing in the textile sector since last year and that additional enforcement actions are expected throughout 2025.
Accordingly, businesses operating in the fashion and textile sector should therefore be prepared for increased regulatory scrutiny of their environmental marketing practices. We therefore strongly recommend that such companies use this occasion to conduct a thorough review of their environmental marketing practices to ensure alignment with applicable legislation and regulatory guidance.
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