Green Claims Under Scrutiny: How to Communicate with Evidence

The future of green marketing in Europe is changing. The EU’s proposed Green Claims Directive may be moving slowly in Brussels, but companies in Denmark already face strict requirements: under the Danish Marketing Practices Act, enforced by the Consumer Ombudsman, environmental claims must be specific, verifiable, and backed by documentation. Terms like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” without evidence are considered misleading – and businesses risk legal action as well as reputational damage. 

This reality calls for robust solutions. The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program offers such a framework, giving companies independent, third-party verification that their products meet rigorous environmental and social performance criteria. The program is also recognized as a Type I ecolabel under ISO 14024, giving it an established role alongside other widely used schemes.

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C2C Certified®: A Reliable Foundation for Environmental Claims 

The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program is built on a robust and thorough methodology that assesses products across five categories: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air & Climate Protection, Water & Soil Stewardship, Social Fairness.

It is the depth of this framework – with its scientific benchmarks, continuous improvement requirements, and independent third-party verification – that equips companies with detailed, validated data. This in turn allows them to: 

• Make precise, measurable claims – for example, “contains 75% recycled polyester” instead of vague statements like “eco-friendly.” 
• Provide independent proof that claims are credible and verifiable. 
• Demonstrate progress over time – the program’s multi-level structure (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) enables companies to show historic improvements, such as moving from a product that was partly recyclable to one designed for full circularity. 
• Build future readiness, ensuring alignment with both Danish law and upcoming EU regulation. 

Vugge til Vugge’s Role as Accredited Assessment Body 

As an accredited assessment body of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Vugge til Vugge partners with companies in FMCG, fashion, electronics, and building materials. 

We see first-hand how businesses that go through the certification process emerge with a unique advantage: they already have the verified data and documentation needed to meet EU compliance requirements. What starts as a certification project often evolves into a strategic asset, strengthening both regulatory preparedness and market trust. 

For many companies, certification also provides market recognition: Cradle to Cradle Certified® is acknowledged as a Type I ecolabel, which strengthens credibility in procurement contexts and supports wider acceptance across Europe. 

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Beyond Green Claims: Alignment with Broader EU Regulation 

The push for transparency is not limited to environmental marketing. The EU is rolling out a wider regulatory framework that demands companies report consistently and credibly across multiple dimensions: 

• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) – requiring large companies to disclose audited sustainability information in line with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). 
• Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) – obliging companies to identify, prevent, and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts throughout their value chains. 
• EU Taxonomy – establishing a classification system to determine which economic activities can be marketed as environmentally sustainable. 

In this context, the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program plays a dual role: it enables companies to make credible product-level claims while also providing validated data that can be integrated into corporate ESG reporting. This bridges the gap between consumer-facing communication and board-level compliance. 

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Building Trust Through Verified Data 

Even if the Green Claims Directive is delayed or reshaped, the direction is clear: transparency and proof are the new baseline. Danish regulation shows that the rules are already changing, and EU-wide requirements will only reinforce this trend. 

Companies that invest today in credible frameworks like the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program not only reduce compliance risks – they strengthen trust with consumers, regulators, and business partners, and prepare themselves for the full scope of Europe’s sustainability agenda. 

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Useful links:

Read more about companies using Cradle to Cradle Certified to raise the bar: 

• How furnipart uses Cradle to Cradle Certified® as a strategic backbone  
• Dansk Wilton drives innovation and industry change through certification  

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Click to read the statement from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute about the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program recognition as a Type I ecolabel

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Find out more about Vugge til Vugge: www.vuggetilvugge.com