Australia's consumer watchdog has published new guidance for businesses that make emissions claims in marketing. The ACCC says the key test is what an ordinary shopper takes away from an ad, not the technical accounting behind it. If a company buys carbon credits but presents the result as a direct cut in its own emissions, the regulator is likely to treat the ad as misleading. Under the guidance, images count as claims, fine print does not fix a misleading headline, and short-form ads need simpler language. The ACCC also flags terms like 'net zero', 'carbon neutral' and 'climate positive' as risky when used in isolation. One worked example shows a company advertising a 43% cut while ignoring scope 3 emissions, when the real reduction was 10%. Businesses that lift figures from sustainability reports into consumer ads should review the claims now. The guidance is voluntary in form, but it signals how the ACCC will assess green claims under Australian Consumer Law, and it builds on its 2023 environmental claims guidance.
