The federal government's consumer watchdog is set to "ramp-up" its scrutiny of green marketing claims, including 'carbon neutral' claims that rely on poorly regulated offset schemes.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is receiving "a steadily increasing number" of inquiries and complaints about green marketing, according to ACCC commissioner John Martin.
"In light of the growing number of complaints, the ACCC is taking a closer look at a number of the green claims that are being made at the moment, and all businesses need to ensure they are not misleading their customers with such claims," he told the 2007 ACCORD Australasia conference.
Martin highlighted the carbon neutral push as the "latest and trendiest" form of green marketing.
"A largely unregulated carbon-cutting business has sprung up selling 'offsets' which pay for projects elsewhere that neutralise an equal amount of emissions – planting trees or fertilising ocean," he said.
"This trade is currently estimated around $US100 million and growing. Consumers can carbon neutralise their car, their flight and most recently their household but are these claims too good to be true and do they truly deliver what consumers expect them to?"
