New anti-greenwashing rules will apply from 27 September. On 1 October, Amapola will host a Zoom webinar bringing together experts in communication, consumer protection, the branded goods industry and reputation to explore how companies can continue to communicate environmental sustainability with both rigour and creativity.
Should new anti-greenwashing rules lead companies to communicate less? We don’t think so. If anything, the challenge is to communicate better. This is the starting point for “Green claims: should brands stop communicating?”, Amapola’s online webinar taking place on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at 12 noon. Register here.
The discussion will bring together Sergio Vazzoler, Co-founder, Partner and Director of Strategy and Institutional Relations at Amapola; Ivano Giacomelli, National Secretary of Codici; Laura Cavalli, Head of the Centromarca Research Centre; and Santina Giannone, CEO of Reputation Lab and Secretary General of FERPI.
The webinar comes just days after the new provisions introduced by Italian Legislative Decree No. 30 of 20 February 2026, implementing EU Directive 2024/825, become applicable. The new framework strengthens consumer protection against unfair commercial practices linked to the green transition. Among other areas, it addresses generic environmental claims, sustainability labels, claims about future environmental performance and certain claims based on carbon offsetting.
It’s not just about the words we use
The issue goes far beyond compiling a list of terms to avoid. An environmental claim can become misleading or vulnerable even when it starts from accurate data.
This can happen, for example, when information loses its original scope as it moves from technical teams to sustainability and marketing. Or when an improvement relating to a specific product is presented as applying to an entire range. Or when the effort to simplify a complex result turns a specific achievement into a broad sustainability promise.
Preventing greenwashing is therefore not simply a matter for communication and legal teams. It also involves sustainability, marketing, production, procurement, packaging and logistics — and effective collaboration across these functions is becoming increasingly important.
Trust is at the heart of the issue
The relationship between companies and consumers adds another layer of complexity. Recent research suggests that trust in corporate sustainability communication is becoming increasingly fragile.
Greater scrutiny of green claims is therefore not simply a compliance issue. It has a direct impact on corporate credibility and on the quality of the relationship brands build with their audiences.
The real question is not whether companies should communicate, but what they can legitimately say, about which product or activity, based on what evidence, and with what degree of precision.
Communication, consumers, brands and reputation: four perspectives
The webinar will bring together four complementary viewpoints with the aim of providing practical guidance: how to identify a weak claim before it is published, what data and documentation should support it, how different business functions should work together, and how technical information can be turned into clear and engaging communication without distorting its meaning.
Because less greenwashing should not mean less communication. It should mean better communication.
Green claims: should brands stop communicating?
Thursday, 1 October 2026
12 noon
Live on Zoom
