Competition Canada to expedite development of anti-greenwashing regulatory guidelines

Canada’s Competition Bureau has announced plans to accelerate the development of interpretive guidance on new provisions of the Competition Act that are designed to combat greenwashing, a move that comes in response to a large number of requests for clarification on recent changes.

The amendments, which went into effect last month, mandate that companies must be able to substantiate any environmental claims they make to promote their products or business interests. The bureau stressed the importance of the rules in ensuring that environmental claims in marketing are truthful and not misleading.

In a statement, the federal regulator emphasized its commitment to developing the necessary guidance “on an expedited basis” to address the numerous requests it has received. As part of that effort, the bureau plans to launch a public consultation in the coming weeks, inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on the new guidance.

The regulatory changes have already had a significant impact on Canadian businesses. Last month, Pathways Alliance, a group representing six of Canada’s largest oil sands companies, removed all content from its website and social media platforms. The consortium cited uncertainty over new anti-greenwashing regulations as the reason for the drastic measure.

Pathways Alliance expressed concern about the amendments, stating that the changes create significant uncertainty for Canadian companies seeking to publicly communicate their efforts to improve their environmental performance. This uncertainty has led to a cautious approach by the group, which is awaiting further clarification from the Competition Bureau.

Source: The Globe and Mail