EU Environmental Claims Rules Change on 27 September 2026 — Why Phuket Tourism Should Pay Attention

Directive (EU) 2024/825 is the Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition, often shortened to ECGT or the Empowering Consumers Directive. It updates EU consumer-protection rules governing how businesses present environmental and sustainability information to consumers. It applies from 27 September 2026.

The European Commission's Sustainable Consumption page currently lists an updated Q&A dated 22 September 2026. We use “EU environmental-claims rules” here as plain language; this is not the separate Green Claims Directive.

The framework concerns business-to-consumer commercial practices and claims shown to consumers in the EU. Phuket hotels, tour businesses, visitor experiences and other businesses selling or marketing to EU consumers may therefore need to review wording on websites, OTAs, brochures and social media. The legal reach depends on the facts of each situation.

Broad terms such as green, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, carbon neutral, climate neutral and nature positive—and sustainability labels—are not all automatically banned. Context, specificity, verifiable evidence and the consumer's overall understanding matter.

These are communication examples, not legal safe-harbour wording.

Businesses can still communicate transparently about investments or contributions to environmental or carbon projects. The key is to separate an external contribution from the impact of the purchased product or service. External offsetting should not be used to tell consumers that the purchased trip, room or service itself has a neutral, reduced or positive greenhouse-gas impact.

Check whether the label was established by a public authority or is based on a qualifying certification scheme with independent third-party verification. Name the scheme, scope, verifier and actual status clearly instead of displaying a mark that suggests more certification than exists.

PLC Membership and participation in PLC Evidence are not sustainability certifications. Payment does not buy verification, ranking, endorsement or evidence status.

1. 1What exactly are we claiming?
2. 2Is it about a product, trip, company or future goal?
3. 3What is the boundary?
4. 4What evidence exists?
5. 5Who measured it, and how?
6. 6If there is a label, who certified it?
7. 7Could the full words and images make an ordinary person understand more than the evidence supports?

• It does not mean sustainability cannot be discussed.
• It does not mean green colours or nature images are forbidden.
• It does not mean carbon or nature projects cannot be supported.

The central point is not to make consumers understand an environmental benefit beyond what the evidence supports.

• Activity is not the same as an output or a measured outcome.
• Participation is not certification.
• Buying a visitor experience does not buy ranking, evidence verification, endorsement or Phuket BiodiverCity editorial coverage.
• NPX is the Nature & Biodiversity Action Exchange, not a Nature Positive label.