As of 27 September 2026, new provisions against greenwashing apply in Italy. For businesses, this changes the way sustainability is communicated: environmental claims must be increasingly specific, transparent and verifiable.

With Legislative Decree No. 30 of 20 February 2026 30Italy transposed European Directive (EU) 2024/825, Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, introducing new provisions into the Italian Consumer Code aimed at combating misleading environmental communications and providing consumers with more reliable information.

The new provisions address so-called green claims, i.e. statements used by businesses to communicate the environmental characteristics or benefits of products, services and activities.

Generic terms such as “green”, “eco-friendly” or “environmentally friendly” may not be used without adequate evidence to substantiate them. The legislation also addresses sustainability labels that are not based on recognised certification schemes, as well as claims that attribute environmental characteristics to an entire business or product when, in fact, they relate only to a specific aspect.

The objective is clear: to move from generic claims to environmental communication supported by concrete and verifiable evidence.