E-Commerce
New sustainability rules for e-commerce: Is your online shop ready for the EmpCo guideline?
"Sustainable," "environmentally friendly," or "CO₂-neutral": Claims like these have become standard in many online shops. But starting on 27 September 2026, stricter rules for environmental and sustainability claims will apply across Europe.
The background is the so-called EmpCo Guideline ("Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition"). Its goal: better protect consumers from greenwashing and create more transparency around sustainability claims. For shop operators, that means one thing above all: existing content should be reviewed. You’ll learn which claims will be especially critical going forward, where in your shop you should check them, and how to approach updating your content in a structured way.
The EmpCo guideline requires companies to make environmental and sustainability claims more transparent and easier to understand. Broad marketing claims without solid proof will face much tighter restrictions. Sustainability labels, climate neutrality claims, and long-term environmental targets will also come under greater scrutiny going forward. In Germany, implementation will happen through changes to the Act Against Unfair Competition (UWG). The new rules apply from 27.09.2026.
It doesn’t matter whether these claims refer to products, packaging, or the company itself.
Example:
❌ Sustainable product
✅ Packaging made from 95% recycled cardboard
✅ 30% less material used compared to the previous model
So check:
That’s why it makes sense to start early with a structured content check and review existing content for potentially critical claims.
If sustainability claims need to be adjusted, changes can then be rolled out consistently across channels. Additional advantages come from reusable content blocks and centralized CMS content in dynamic content. Recurring sustainability information or certification notes don’t need to be maintained separately on every page - they can be used in multiple places with purpose.
The more consistently product information and content are centrally maintained today, the lower the effort when new legal requirements like EmpCo need to be implemented. Instead of updating countless channels and pieces of content one by one, companies can roll out changes in a structured, consistent, and much more efficient way.
The EmpCo guideline will become the most important regulatory topic for many companies when it comes to product and sustainability communication. Companies that review today which claims are used in the shop and how they can be substantiated don’t just reduce risk. Transparent and understandable communication also strengthens customer trust in both products and brand.
If you have to maintain sustainability information separately across five shops, three feeds, and two marketplaces today, EmpCo will feel like extra effort. If you already rely on centralized product and content management, you can turn that same requirement into a more consistent optimization of your content.
What is the EmpCo guideline?
The EmpCo guideline requires companies to make environmental and sustainability claims more transparent and easier to understand. Broad marketing claims without solid proof will face much tighter restrictions. Sustainability labels, climate neutrality claims, and long-term environmental targets will also come under greater scrutiny going forward. In Germany, implementation will happen through changes to the Act Against Unfair Competition (UWG). The new rules apply from 27.09.2026.
Does the guideline even apply to you?
In most cases: yes. The guideline is especially relevant for companies that use claims in their shop or marketing such as:- sustainable
- environmentally friendly
- resource-efficient
- climate-neutral
- emission-free
- CO₂-neutral
- green
- biodegradable
It doesn’t matter whether these claims refer to products, packaging, or the company itself.
Where should you look in your shop?
Many companies first think of product detail pages. In reality, these claims can show up in a lot more places:- Product descriptions and videos
- Category pages and shopping worlds
- CMS pages and landing pages, especially sustainability pages
- Newsletters and blog posts
- Downloads and data sheets
- Social media campaigns
Typical pitfalls around the EmpCo guideline
1. Broad sustainability claims
Claims like "Our product is sustainable" or "Especially environmentally friendly" may seem harmless at first. The problem: the term is very broad and often leaves open what the environmental benefit actually refers to. Going forward, these kinds of claims will be evaluated much more critically. Instead, claims should be worded as specifically as possible.Example:
❌ Sustainable product
✅ Packaging made from 95% recycled cardboard
✅ 30% less material used compared to the previous model
2. Climate-neutral through offsetting
Many companies still promote claims like "Climate-neutral" or "CO₂-neutral" when emissions are offset through certificates or compensation measures. This exact type of communication will be significantly restricted by the EmpCo rules. If claims like these appear in your shop, you should review them especially carefully.3. Your own sustainability labels
Individually developed labels or badges can also become problematic. The guideline introduces stricter requirements for sustainability labels. Going forward, these should be based on recognized certification systems or public standards.So check:
- Which labels do you use and who issues them?
- Are there transparent criteria, and can consumers verify the claim independently?
4. Future promises
Claims like "Climate-neutral by 2030" or "We will reduce our emissions by 2040" will not automatically be impermissible going forward. However, these claims must be based on concrete plans and verifiable actions.Your EmpCo quick check
Go through the following questions once:- Do we use terms like "sustainable," "environmentally friendly," or "climate-neutral," and can we clearly substantiate every one of these claims?
- Do we use our own sustainability labels that may no longer be allowed in the future?
- Are there claims about CO₂ offsetting or long-term environmental commitments that will need to be explained in more detail in the future?
- Do sustainability claims also appear in other channels - newsletters, social media, marketplaces?
- Has older content also been reviewed?
What should you do now?
EmpCo is not just a legal issue. In fact, the guideline affects many parts of an e-commerce project:- Product data and content management
- Marketing, ads, and social media
- Certifications
- Corporate and brand communication
That’s why it makes sense to start early with a structured content check and review existing content for potentially critical claims.
Implement EmpCo requirements efficiently across all sales channels
If product data and content are already maintained centrally and in a structured way, implementing EmpCo requirements becomes much easier. In dynamic commerce, product information is managed in one central place and can be distributed across different sales channels - for example in b2b portals, b2c shops, marketplaces, product data feeds, or other sales systems.If sustainability claims need to be adjusted, changes can then be rolled out consistently across channels. Additional advantages come from reusable content blocks and centralized CMS content in dynamic content. Recurring sustainability information or certification notes don’t need to be maintained separately on every page - they can be used in multiple places with purpose.
The more consistently product information and content are centrally maintained today, the lower the effort when new legal requirements like EmpCo need to be implemented. Instead of updating countless channels and pieces of content one by one, companies can roll out changes in a structured, consistent, and much more efficient way.
Conclusion
Don’t start with a legal review of individual texts. First, create an inventory of all sustainability claims in your shop. In many projects, this step already creates the biggest level of transparency around where action is needed.The EmpCo guideline will become the most important regulatory topic for many companies when it comes to product and sustainability communication. Companies that review today which claims are used in the shop and how they can be substantiated don’t just reduce risk. Transparent and understandable communication also strengthens customer trust in both products and brand.
If you have to maintain sustainability information separately across five shops, three feeds, and two marketplaces today, EmpCo will feel like extra effort. If you already rely on centralized product and content management, you can turn that same requirement into a more consistent optimization of your content.
