Electric cars aren’t ‘zero emissions’ – Australian consumer watchdog
The Australian consumer watchdog has sounded a warning to carmakers making dubious claims around their electric cars – some of which it says are tantamount ‘greenwashing’.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently issued draft guidance for businesses, framing the way they should communicate their environmental and sustainability claims under Australian Consumer Law.
The goal is to eventually punish those companies continually making misleading or selective claims about their environmental credentials, a tactic known as ‘greenwashing’.
“A growing number of businesses are making environmental claims about their products, services, and operations. Many consumers consider environmental claims as a major factor when choosing what to buy,” the watchdog said.
“However, consumers can find it difficult to verify whether environmental claims are true, and there are concerns that many of these claims do not accurately reflect the true environmental impact associated with a business, or the products or services it supplies.”
The draft guidance focuses on the wider economy, including the car industry which is incre
