Thomson Reuters Westlaw Publishes Akin Gump Article on Green Guides and the Expanding Landscape of Carbon Neutrality Claims

Thomson Reuters Westlaw has published the article 'Modernizing the Green Guides in the age of carbon neutrality,' written by Ken Markowitz, a consultant at Akin Gump and co-leader of its climate change cross-practice initiative; antitrust partner Haidee Schwartz; energy regulatory specialist Shawn Whites; and Nicole Franklin, a 2021 summer associate at the firm.

The article explores how the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, also known as 'Green Guides,' 'might evolve in response to the expanding landscape of carbon neutrality claims.' The authors first describe what Green Guides are and provide background on their application to claims of carbon neutrality. They then discuss various trends in greenwashing allegations affecting marketers making those claims.

Markowitz, Schwartz, Whites and Franklin also survey how some other countries approach carbon neutrality claims and then identify 'three commonalities that may inform best practices.' Finally, they conclude with some lessons for modernizing the Green Guides to address carbon neutrality claims more directly.

To read the article in full, please click here.