ESG Enforcement Tracker

Key facts:

In July 2022, the CMA launched an investigation into whether ‘green’ claims made by ASOS, Boohoo and George at ASDA are misleading consumers into believing their fashion products are more eco-friendly and sustainable than they really are.

This move was announced as part of the CMA’s wider investigations into greenwashing claims made by the fashion industry. It is estimated that UK consumers spend £54 billion on fashion annually. The CMA is concerned about the way in which fashion producers market products to customers as eco-friendly or sustainable while providing little to no information about the basis on which such claims are made, or exactly which products they relate to.

In March 2024, the CMA announced that it had signed agreements with ASOS, Boohoo and ASDA to use only accurate and clear green claims.

As part of the agreements, the companies have also each signed an undertaking committing them to an agreed set of rules about how they display, describe and promote their green credentials. They must provide regular updates to the CMA about their compliance with the undertakings and take steps to improve their internal processes.