Greenwashing is an environmental or climate claim that leaves readers with a more favorable impression than the actual data supports. To avoid it, a claim must rest on a complete emissions inventory, state its scope and period precisely, keep the company's own reductions separate from offsetting with units, and be verifiable against documents.
Common mistakes
- Incomplete coverage. “The company is carbon neutral,” although only one facility or only Scope 2 has been counted.
- Deducting units from emissions. The report shows “net emissions” instead of gross emissions.
- Vague wording. “Eco-friendly product” or “green production” with no figures and no methodology.
- Questionable units. Units with no independent verification, at risk of double counting, or never checked for additionality.
- Claims instead of action. Offsetting is used in place of cutting the company's own emissions.
- Outdated data. A claim for the current year relies on a calculation made three years ago.
Pre-publication checklist
- Is there a complete inventory under a recognized standard, the GHG Protocol or ISO 14064-1:2018?
- Have the organizational boundaries been set, and is the Scope 2 method stated?
- Which scopes and period does the claim cover? Does the text say so explicitly?
- Are the data backed by primary documents? Have the gaps been assessed (see data quality)?
- Is there an emission reduction target and plan (see reduction targets)?
- If units are used, have they been retired in a registry on behalf of the company and for the same period?
- Do the units meet quality principles such as the ICVCM CCP?
- Has the inventory been independently verified under ISO 14064-3:2019?
How to word a claim
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| “We are carbon neutral” | “Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions for 2025 were 1,497 t CO₂e; an equivalent volume of units has been retired in a registry” |
| “Our product is carbon-free” | “The product's carbon footprint under ISO 14067:2018 is X kg CO₂e per unit” |
| “We cut emissions by X%” with no base year | “Emissions fell by X% against the base year; the calculation has been verified” |
Benchmarks for credible claims:
- VCMI Claims Code of Practice v3.0 (April 2025): conditions for corporate claims that use carbon units;
- ISO 14068-1:2023: requirements for carbon neutrality claims;
- ISO 14067:2018: carbon footprint of products.
For more on how retirement works, see Retiring carbon units.
“Clean” energy claims
The market-based method for Scope 2 carries a risk of its own. The GHG Protocol revision is phasing in hourly and geographic matching requirements for the market-based method; they mainly affect voluntary claims about “clean” energy. A claim such as “we run on 100% renewable energy” that is not backed by supporting instruments and ignores these requirements may be challenged.
How it works in the platform
- Emissions are calculated for each facility month by month, and supporting documents such as invoices, certificates of completion and photos of meter readings are attached to the records (Data entry). Every record shows the methodology applied.
- A facility's year is closed after a completeness check, and only an administrator can reopen a closed year. The year's change history shows who changed what and when.
- An administrator creates the annual company report in PDF and DOCX on the organization's GHG page (Facilities). The report can be generated even if data is incomplete, but the gaps are then listed in it as warnings: resolve them before you publish a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying carbon units greenwashing?
No, provided the units are high quality, have been retired, and the claim describes accurately what was done. It becomes greenwashing when the claim exaggerates, for example by presenting offsetting as the company's own reduction.
Is verification required for a public claim?
Not always, but independent verification under ISO 14064-3:2019 significantly reduces the risk of being accused of making a misleading claim.
Can a company make claims about plans rather than results?
Yes, if the target is specific, has a base year, a deadline and an action plan, and progress is published regularly.