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Restricted claim

“Carbon positive”

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

High-risk claim Carbon & climate

Why it is restricted

Claims a net beneficial climate effect. In practice it always rests on purchased credits, which point 4c rules out as a basis for any neutrality, reduction or positive-impact claim.

Say this instead

Separate the two facts: report your measured emissions and reductions, then describe any credits purchased as a separate contribution, never as the product's footprint.

In English

  • “climatiquement positif”
  • “klimaatpositief”
  • “climáticamente positivo”
  • “climaticamente positivo”
  • “kliimapositiivne”
  • “ilmastopositiivinen”
  • “klimatpositiv”

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)

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Related claims

“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 “Net zero” High-risk claim

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