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31 May 2024 / Teja Pisk
Issue: 8073 / Categories: Features , Commercial , Environment , Company
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Anti-greenwashing rules: climate compliance

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The FCA’s new anti-greenwashing rule has come into force. Businesses need to act—right now—writes Teja Pisk
  • The FCA’s new greenwashing measures aim to protect consumers and improve trust in sustainable investment products and services.
  • Firms must act now or risk ramifications under civil, criminal or regulatory enforcement proceedings—and stay on top of future legislative changes.

In keeping with growing consumer interest in sustainability, the number of products and services claiming to be sustainable and environmentally friendly has increased exponentially in recent years.

This boom in ‘green’ branding has fuelled concerns that organisations are ‘greenwashing’, ie, making false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the environmental benefits or impact of their business, products or services.

Changing at pace

The UK’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) legal and regulatory landscape has historically been relatively fragmented (greenwashing, for example, still has no legal definition), but that is now changing at pace, with an array of new ESG-related legislation and regulation that businesses must comply with.

One such development has come from the Financial

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

EIP—Stuart Malcolm

EIP—Stuart Malcolm

EIP strengthens Commercial practice with a new partner

Ellisons—Francesca Brown

Ellisons—Francesca Brown

Ellisons welcomes Francesca Brown to Family team

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau strengthens Sheffield regulatory practice with new hires

NEWS
A wide-ranging Civil Way column highlights developments from insolvency procedure to employment law, but one case stands out for its lessons on bankruptcy, family homes and digital communications
A sprawling Intellectual Property Office battle between House of Fraser and Frasers Property has delivered a masterclass in modern trade mark law
Courts in England and Wales and Singapore are increasingly confronting complex disputes over international child relocation as families become more globally mobile
The government’s long-awaited family law reform consultation could mark a turning point for domestic abuse victims navigating financial remedy proceedings, but significant challenges remain
A new commercial court pilot giving the public access to documents used in hearings, including expert reports, is raising difficult questions about transparency and privacy
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