The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has decided to close the ongoing investigation into Unilever's green claims on some of its products, such as the popular Dove and Lynx. The investigation, launched to assess the veracity of the company's environmental claims, concluded after determining that Unilever has made sufficient modifications to its packaging to reduce its ‘green’ appearance.
According to a report published by the Financial Times, Unilever has removed several of the logos and images on its packaging that may have given an exaggerated impression of the positive environmental impact of its products. These modifications were seen by the CMA as a favourable response to its initial concerns.
The CMA explained in a statement that it has observed ‘positive changes’ in the environmental claims of companies in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, a sector in which Unilever operates. According to the regulator, these adaptations reflect the impact of its efforts to promote honest and responsible communication about the environmental benefits of products.
‘Given the adoption of these changes and the continuing impact of the CMA's work, we have decided, as an administrative priority, to close this investigation," the UK authority said.
Unilever, for its part, has reiterated its commitment to align its marketing practices with environmental transparency regulations and standards, at a time when regulations to prevent greenwashing have become increasingly stringent. The CMA has made it clear that, despite the closure of this investigation, it will continue to closely monitor companies in the sector to ensure that environmental claims are accurate and verifiable.