Environmental claims and the way sustainability is communicated will change with the application of Directive (EU) 2024/825 starting in September 2026. Businesses and tourist destinations will need to review expressions such as "sustainable," "green," "carbon neutral," and "eco" to align them with a new model based on evidence, transparency, and verifiable sustainability. Discover which messages should be reviewed and how to prepare for clearer, more credible environmental communication aligned with European regulations.
Directive (EU) 2024/825, which will begin to apply on September 27, 2026, will require businesses and destinations to review how they communicate their environmental commitments. Generic environmental claims, climate neutrality claims, proprietary sustainability labels, and absolute environmental statements will need to be supported by clear, verifiable, and understandable information. For the tourism sector, this new phase represents a shift toward sustainability communication based on transparency, evidence, and traceability.
In a previous article, "The New European Directive That Will Change the Way Sustainability Is Communicated," we examined how Directive (EU) 2024/825 will mark a turning point in environmental communication across the European Union. In this article, we take the discussion a step further by focusing on one of its most practical consequences: the review of the main environmental claims used by businesses and tourist destinations and the changes that will need to be made before September 2026.
For years, businesses and tourist destinations have used terms such as “sustainable,” “green,” “eco,” “environmentally responsible,” and “carbon neutral” to differentiate themselves in a market that is increasingly aware of the environmental impact of economic activity and travel. These messages have helped bring sustainability closer to consumers, but they have also contributed to the proliferation of claims that are either too vague or difficult to verify.
Starting on September 27, 2026, this landscape will change significantly. The application of Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive and widely associated with the fight against greenwashing, will mark a turning point in the way sustainability is communicated across the European Union.
Its objective is to strengthen consumer protection against misleading environmental claims, non-transparent sustainability labels, and commercial communications that convey a stronger environmental performance than can actually be substantiated. In other words, sustainability communication will move away from generic statements and toward clear, verifiable information supported by evidence.
For the tourism sector, this transformation represents much more than regulatory compliance. It means evolving toward more rigorous environmental communication that clearly explains which commitments have been made, how they are managed, and what results demonstrate their implementation. The question will no longer be simply whether sustainability is communicated, but whether it is communicated with the transparency and credibility expected by travelers, public authorities, investors, and society as a whole.
Environmental claims, also referred to as environmental statements or environmental declarations, are messages, expressions, symbols, or graphic elements used to communicate that a business, product, service, or destination offers a specific environmental benefit or demonstrates a particular environmental commitment.
These claims can take many different forms. They appear on websites, in advertising campaigns, on booking platforms, across social media, in press releases, tourism brochures, product labels, sustainability reports, commercial presentations, and even in the signage of businesses and destinations.
Their purpose is to convey a positive perception of an organization's environmental performance to consumers. However, that perception must correspond to an objective, understandable, and verifiable reality.
The problem arises when these messages are overly generic, fail to clearly explain their scope, or are not supported by sufficient evidence. Under these circumstances, an organization may engage in greenwashing even if it is implementing genuine sustainability initiatives. It is not enough to take responsible actions; it is equally essential to communicate them with precision, transparency, and proportionality.
In this new context, the European Union aims to ensure that consumers can easily understand what an environmental claim actually means, who supports it, what methodology has been used to evaluate it, and the specific scope of the commitment being communicated.
One of the most significant changes introduced by Directive (EU) 2024/825 specifically concerns generic environmental claims.
Terms such as “sustainable,” “green,” “eco,” “natural,” “environmentally friendly,” or “planet-friendly” may be considered insufficient when used on their own, without supporting information that allows consumers to properly understand their meaning.
In the tourism sector, this situation is especially common. Hotels, restaurants, destinations, tourism activities, and businesses frequently use these terms as part of their market positioning. However, consumers need to understand which dimensions of sustainability have been assessed, what criteria have been applied, and what mechanisms are in place to verify these claims.
The new regulation does not prohibit the use of these terms. Rather, it requires that they no longer function as simple marketing slogans but instead become clear, specific claims supported by verifiable information.
This change also represents an opportunity to improve the quality of environmental communication. The more precise the information provided, the greater the trust it will inspire among consumers, travelers, business partners, and institutions.
The application of Directive (EU) 2024/825 does not mean giving up on communicating sustainability. The real change lies in explaining sustainability more clearly and accurately.
General claims will need to be accompanied by information that enables consumers to understand which specific aspects have been assessed, what methodology has been applied, and what evidence supports each commitment. In other words, environmental communication is evolving from aspirational messaging toward information that is more useful, transparent, and verifiable.
This evolution also represents an opportunity to strengthen consumer trust. A clear and specific explanation typically provides far greater credibility than a catchy slogan because it helps consumers understand the actual scope of the actions taken and avoids creating expectations that cannot later be substantiated.
Before and After: Environmental Communication.
Below are some examples illustrating how sustainability communication can evolve toward a clearer and more understandable model.
In each of these examples, the change is not simply about providing more information. It is about replacing a generic claim with an explanation that helps people understand what has actually been done and how it can be verified.
One of the areas receiving the greatest attention under the new European regulation concerns climate-related claims.
Expressions such as "carbon neutral," "zero emissions," "climate neutral," "net-zero footprint," or "no climate impact" can easily lead to misunderstandings when they do not clearly explain how those results have been achieved.
In recent years, many organizations have communicated these types of claims based primarily on carbon offsetting mechanisms through the purchase of carbon credits. However, the upcoming application of the Directive is intended to prevent consumers from believing that an activity has no climate impact when, in reality, that impact still exists and has been offset outside the organization's own value chain.
The European legislator’s objective is not to challenge carbon offsetting mechanisms, but to ensure that they do not replace actual emissions reductions or create an environmental perception that does not accurately reflect the reality of the service being provided.
As a result, climate-related communication will increasingly focus on the results achieved within the organization itself, giving priority to actual emissions reductions over complementary offsetting measures.
How to Communicate Climate Action More Transparently.
The new framework encourages organizations to communicate their climate commitments with greater precision and context.
In this regard, some best practices include:
Providing this type of information enables consumers to correctly understand the scope of climate-related commitments and strengthens the credibility of environmental communication.
Another particularly important aspect of Directive (EU) 2024/825 concerns the use of sustainability labels and the various environmental logos used in commercial communications.
In recent years, a wide variety of sustainability labels have emerged. Some are based on well-established methodologies and include independent assessment and monitoring processes. Others, however, have been created solely for promotional purposes, without clearly defined public criteria or independent verification mechanisms.
The new regulation is specifically intended to help consumers distinguish between the two.
In this context, a sustainability label provides genuine value when it clearly answers fundamental questions such as who conducts the assessment, which aspects are evaluated, what methodology is applied, how frequently compliance with the criteria is reviewed, and how long the recognition remains valid.
Trust will no longer depend solely on the presence of a logo. It will depend on the quality and transparency of the system that stands behind it.
Five Questions to Ask Before Using a Sustainability Label.
Before including any environmental label in the communications of a business or destination, it is advisable to determine whether it can answer the following fundamental questions:
Answering yes to these questions not only helps organizations comply with a more demanding regulatory framework, but also strengthens consumer trust and distinguishes those certifications that truly provide value through transparency and independent verification.
Another aspect that takes on particular importance with the application of Directive (EU) 2024/825 is the use of absolute or comparative sustainability claims.
Expressions such as "the most sustainable destination," "zero impact," "the greenest choice," "100% eco-friendly," "completely environmentally friendly," or "the most sustainable alternative" can be especially problematic when they are not supported by objective, verifiable, and up-to-date evidence.
These types of messages are often used as part of marketing differentiation strategies. However, from the consumer’s perspective, they may create perceptions that are difficult to substantiate or encourage comparisons that are not always based on consistent methodologies.
The new European regulation is not intended to limit organizations’ ability to communicate their progress, but rather to ensure that such claims are supported by objective and understandable criteria.
In this new context, it is far more effective to explain the specific improvements that have been achieved than to rely on broad claims that may be difficult to substantiate.
Sustainability gains credibility when it is communicated with precision—not with exaggeration.
The best way to strengthen environmental communication is to turn broad claims into verifiable information.
For example, instead of claiming that an organization is "the most sustainable," it is far more useful to explain the specific actions that have been implemented, the indicators used to evaluate them, and the results that have been achieved.
Examples of statements that better reflect this approach include:
These types of statements provide consumers with much more useful information for understanding the true scope of the commitments that have been made.
In many cases, small adjustments to environmental communications can help avoid ambiguous interpretations and significantly strengthen consumer trust.
Before launching an advertising campaign, updating a website, publishing content on social media, or creating promotional materials, it is useful to review a few basic questions.
A Practical Checklist for Businesses and Tourist Destinations.
Before publishing any environmental claim, ask yourself:
This simple exercise helps reduce risks before publishing any environmental communication and fosters a much more transparent relationship with consumers, customers, public authorities, and other stakeholders.
This new landscape highlights one fundamental idea.
Sustainability can no longer rely solely on inspiring messages or statements of commitment.
It must be supported by management systems capable of organizing information, facilitating continuous improvement, and demonstrating progress through verifiable evidence.
It is precisely in this context that the methodology developed by Biosphere becomes especially relevant.
Developed by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), this methodology helps businesses and tourist destinations structure their sustainability strategy through a management model aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria.
Its purpose is not merely to recognize an organization's commitment.
Its true value lies in enabling that commitment to be planned, managed, evaluated, and communicated in a consistent and credible way.
One of the most significant changes introduced by the new European regulation is the shift from broad statements to the objective demonstration of progress.
In this regard, the Biosphere digital platform enables businesses and tourist destinations to organize their sustainability actions in a structured way by incorporating indicators, documentation, evidence, and improvement plans linked to the various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This approach allows sustainability to move beyond being understood as a collection of isolated initiatives and become fully integrated into the organization's day-to-day management.
At the same time, it provides organized and traceable information that can be especially valuable in meeting the growing demands for transparency from consumers, public authorities, investors, and other stakeholders.
Within this new European regulatory framework, certification also takes on a different meaning.
Rather than being a one-time recognition, it represents the visible outcome of an ongoing process of planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
The Biosphere Certified distinction for businesses and Biosphere Certified Destination for destinations reflect this very philosophy.
They are not an end point. They represent a working methodology that drives continuous improvement, enhances the traceability of the actions implemented, and enables environmental communication to be supported by independently verified evidence.
From this perspective, the value of a certification does not lie solely in the logo that can be displayed to consumers. Above all, it lies in the strength of the system behind that recognition.
Because, in the new landscape shaped by Directive (EU) 2024/825, trust will depend less and less on words and more and more on the ability to demonstrate what is being communicated.
In anticipation of the upcoming application of Directive (EU) 2024/825, Biosphere plans to host an informational webinar during the second half of September 2026 for businesses, tourist destinations, and professionals interested in understanding the new European framework for environmental communication.
The session will provide a practical overview of the main changes introduced by the Directive, covering topics such as the review of environmental claims, the new requirements applicable to sustainability labels, how to communicate environmental commitments with greater transparency, and recommendations for adapting the communications of businesses and destinations to this new regulatory landscape.
The webinar will also include practical examples and guidance to help participants understand the scope of the Directive and transform sustainability communication into a tool that builds greater trust among consumers, public authorities, and other stakeholders.
The final date, time, and registration process will be announced soon through Biosphere’s official communication channels.
The application of Directive (EU) 2024/825 does not mark the end of environmental communication. Rather, it signals the beginning of a new era in which sustainability must be communicated with greater clarity, rigor, and transparency.
For businesses and tourist destinations, this transformation represents an opportunity to review how they present their commitments, improve the quality of the information they provide, and build stronger relationships of trust with travelers, consumers, public authorities, and society as a whole.
Rather than limiting the use of certain messages, the new regulation encourages organizations to communicate more effectively. It calls for replacing generic claims with meaningful information, difficult-to-substantiate promises with verifiable evidence, and marketing slogans with explanations that clearly convey the true scope of each initiative.
This change is not driven solely by regulatory requirements. It also reflects the evolving expectations of an increasingly informed public that demands greater transparency and wants to understand what truly lies behind every environmental commitment.
For years, sustainability has served as a way to express commitments, communicate values, and differentiate organizations and destinations. Today, a new chapter is beginning.
A chapter in which those commitments must increasingly be supported by data, methodologies, continuous improvement processes, and systems capable of demonstrating measurable progress.
Trust will no longer be built solely on what an organization claims. Above all, it will be built on what it can demonstrate.
In this context, the organizations best prepared for the future will not necessarily be those that talk the most about sustainability, but those that integrate sustainability into the way they operate, measure their progress, document their results, and communicate honestly about both their achievements and the challenges that remain.
Because true transformation is not about communicating more. It is about communicating better.
And communicating better means providing information that is clear, verifiable, and useful so that people can make more informed and confident decisions.
This is, perhaps, the greatest challenge posed by Directive (EU) 2024/825.
But it also represents an opportunity to strengthen organizational credibility and contribute to a culture of sustainability built on transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Ultimately, the future of environmental communication will not depend on who uses the most sustainability-related messages. It will depend on who can support those messages with evidence.
Because, starting in 2026, the difference will no longer lie in appearing more sustainable.
The difference will lie in being able to prove it.