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Restricted claim

“Carbon offset”

Is “Carbon offset” allowed under the EU Green Claims Directive (2024/825)?

Medium-risk claim Carbon & climate

Why it is restricted

Offsetting itself is not illegal — presenting it as making the product neutral, reduced-impact or positive is. The claim must not be attached to the product's environmental performance.

Say this instead

"Beyond our reduction plan, we also fund Gold Standard removal projects. This is additional to, not a substitute for, our own emissions cuts."

In English

  • “CO2-Kompensation”

Legal basis

Directive 2005/29/EC, Annex I point 4c, inserted by Directive 2024/825 (claiming, BASED ON OFFSETTING, that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the environment; a neutrality claim not resting on offsetting falls under point 4a and Article 6(1)(b) instead). Recital 12 states that the prohibition "should not prevent companies from advertising their investments in environmental initiatives, including carbon credit projects, as long as they provide such information in a way that is not misleading" — the offsetting itself is lawful; what point 4c prohibits is deriving a NEUTRALITY claim from it

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Related claims

“Carbon positive” High-risk claim “CO2 reduced” Medium-risk claim “Reduced carbon footprint” Medium-risk claim “Carbon neutral” High-risk claim “Carbon negative” High-risk claim “Climate neutral” High-risk claim

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