Certified. Third-party Verified.

The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive is a landmark law designed to eliminate greenwashing. By September 27, 2026, any company marketing or selling products or services to EU consumers—regardless of where the company is headquartered—must comply with strict new rules regarding sustainability labels and environmental claims. 

One of the main goals of the ECGT is to empower a consumer at the moment they are making a decision—standing in a store aisle, looking at a product, or scrolling on a website. The directive is designed to eliminate the ambiguity of standalone environmental logos.

Under ECGT, 1% for the Planet is considered a “sustainability label” and a “certification scheme.” ECGT requirements take effect on September 27, 2026, and apply to any products or services marketed or sold to EU-based consumers.

Key ECGT requirements:

• Ban on Unverified Labels: The directive bans displaying any sustainability label that is not based on a certification scheme or established by a public authority.
  
  • ‍The 1% for the Planet logo is a label that is based on a certification scheme‍
• Publicly Available Information: Before using a label, a trader (i.e. a business) must ensure the certification scheme's terms are publicly available.
  
  • ‍Our Certification Standard is publicly available and can be found in the Guidance for businesses impacted by ECGT directive section below. Membership Agreements for company and product-line membership are also available. An updated Certification & Vetting Standard will be released in September 2026 and will comprehensively detail both the certification and Environmental Partner vetting standards, along with administrative standards of our model. 

• Transparency and Credibility: The scheme must meet minimum conditions of transparency and credibility, including the incorporation of expert and stakeholder feedback.
  
  • The information and links on this page, further supported by the comprehensive Certification and Vetting Standard that will be released in September, ensure that 1% for the Planet is a transparent and credible scheme.
• Non-compliance procedures
  
  • 1% for the Planet strictly enforces the certification requirements laid out in the Membership Agreement. Section 2 of the agreement describes the licensing terms granted to participating members; Section 3 of the agreement outlines the causes for and procedures around termination
• Mandatory Third-Party Monitoring: The scheme must have objective monitoring of compliance carried out by an independent third party.
  
  • 1% for the Planet has received proposals from and is now vetting third-party auditors that can ensure the 1% for the Planet certification scheme is ECGT compliant. We will be releasing more information on the selected entity and next steps for our ECGT-impacted members in spring 2026.

What ECGT means for 1% for the Planet Members selling or marketing to consumers in the EU:

• Third-Party Certification Auditing is required: Under the new Directive, all sustainability labels must be based on a certification scheme that is monitored by an independent third party. 1% for the Planet has received proposals from, and has now vetted, third-party auditors. We will be releasing more information on the selected entity and next steps for our ECGT-impacted members in spring 2026. Members will be informed via email, and also prompted when they log in to the member portal, to opt-in to third-party auditing if they do business in the EU. 

• Properly use the correct 1% for the Planet logo: Effective September 27, 2026, members selling or marketing to consumers in the EU must use the updated 1% for the Planet logos in accordance with the updated logos & guidance for members selling or marketing to EU consumers. These logos ensure ECGT compliance by 1) providing a URL that links directly to this page, which outlines for consumers and regulatory bodies how the 1% for the Planet certification scheme is compliant, and 2) these updated logos clearly identify that a business or product line has in fact fulfilled 1% for the Planet certification requirements. 
  
  It is the business member’s responsibility to correctly implement 1% for the Planet Brand & Logo Guidelines in order to be compliant. But, here are some key requirements to consider: 
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  • The 1% FOR THE PLANET CERTIFIED BUSINESS (or CERTIFIED PRODUCT, as applicable) logo upholds the highest standard for global compliance and is the only logo that should be used on packaging, marketing materials and at point of sale within the EU. 
  • 1% for the Planet Business Members can only use the 1% FOR THE PLANET CERTIFIED BUSINESS (or CERTIFIED PRODUCT, as applicable) logo once they’ve certified a fiscal year.

• Ban on Generic Claims: The EU now prohibits broad, non-specific environmental claims—such as "environmentally friendly," "green," or "sustainable"—on products or in marketing unless the business can prove the product meets the highest possible environmental standards recognized by the government. Because these terms are often too vague to be verified, we recommend avoiding them entirely and instead using specific, fact-based language about your 1% for the Planet certification. More details can be found in 1% for the Planet Brand & Logo Guidelines.
  
  Since the 1% for the Planet certification verifies a financial commitment—not the product or business’ environmental footprint—it is crucial that businesses adhere to the following marketing best practices:‍
  
  • Avoid Prohibited Claims: Do not use vague, sweeping terms without separate, detailed and verifiable evidence. These are often generic and are explicitly prohibited under the ECGT Directive.‍
    
  • Focus on Action and Specificity: When communicating your commitment, be precise. Always use language that highlights the verified financial action and its destination: ‍
    
    • USE: "This product supports our commitment to contribute 1% of annual sales to verified environmental solutions, as certified by 1% for the Planet."‍
      
    • AVOID: "This sustainable, eco-friendly product supports our 1% contribution."
  • The ECGT Directive aims to combat greenwashing by regulating generic, non-verified claims by businesses. To avoid potential penalties and legal fees, use only claims that are specific and true to your 1% for the Planet commitment. Here are a few examples of compliant language: 
    
    • BEFORE FIRST CERTIFICATION: [Business Name] commits to giving back 1% of our annual revenue to vetted organizations through 1% for the Planet.
    • BEFORE FIRST CERTIFICATION: We just joined 1% for the Planet! We have committed to giving back 1% of our revenue annually to vetted organizations supporting people and the planet.
    • AFTER CERTIFICATION: We are a 1% for the Planet Certified Business. We give back 1% of our annual revenue to vetted organizations supporting the planet.

• Key takeaways from the European Commission ECGT Q&A:
  
  • No Legacy Allowance for Packaging: The Commission clarifies that the Directive applies to all commercial practices in the EU market as of September 27, 2026. This means that products already on shelves are technically subject to the rules, regardless of when they were printed. The Q&A explicitly states that traders have "practical options to ensure compliance," such as using stickers to cover old claims or adding supplementary information at the point of sale (e.g., a shelf-talker or a QR code correction). See Question 18 in the European Commission Q&A below:
    
    The ECGT Directive introduces targeted amendments to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD), the horizontal ‘consumer protection safety net’ to address misleading business-to-consumer commercial practices, including greenwashing. The ECGT Directive entered into force on 26 March 2024. Member States must transpose its provisions by 27 March 2026.
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    The ECGT Directive shall apply from 27 September 2026. From that date, traders will need to ensure that their environmental claims and sustainability labels in a business-to-consumer context comply with the new provisions, including for existing products. Where traders identify environmental claims or sustainability labels on packaging that would not comply with the new rules, they will have practical options to ensure compliance for existing products. These may include covering or correcting claims by stickers or adding supplementary information at the point of sale.
    
    Enforcement of the ECGT/UCPD lies with national competent authorities. They will normally investigate, prioritise and sequence enforcement actions according to the gravity of infringements and the specific circumstances of each case. Authorities may include in their assessment, for example, whether traders have made reasonable and proportionate efforts to comply, including for products already in the distribution chain, taking due account of proportionality, legal certainty and legitimate expectations.
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  • B2B vs. B2C: The Q&A confirms that the Directive is strictly limited to Business-to-Consumer (B2C) practices. If you are strictly B2B (selling to other businesses), you have significantly more flexibility, as these rules do not apply to B2B communications. See Question 1 in the linked European Commission Q&A.
    
• High Stakes: Under the ECGT, the Member business is legally responsible for its claims. Misleading claims can result in substantial penalties, including fines of at least 4% of annual turnover in relevant EU Member States. 1% for the Planet members should review the ECGT Directive and consult their legal counsel regarding regulations that affect their business. 

• Public Directory of active, compliant member companies, and active, vetted Environmental Partners
• Whole Company Membership Agreement : our standard Membership Agreement
• Product Line Membership Agreement: our Membership Agreement for business that participate with just a specific product line
• Updated logos & guidance for members selling or marketing to EU consumers‍
• Membership dues chart: our tiered dues structure, which scales according to a member’s revenue size
• Certification Standard: our core certification methodology document. Will be updated in September 2026 to include the Vetting Standard for Partners. Link to come by March 31, 2026.
• Third-party certification auditor information: Information will be released Spring 2026
• Complaint procedure & form: complaint procedure is currently described in our Membership Agreements linked above. Updated information on complaint procedures and a public-facing form will be provided before September 2026.