Overview

• Released June 5 after two consultation rounds and more than 400 submissions, final guidance outlines how companies can comply with new greenwashing provisions under the Competition Act.
• The guidelines stipulate that environmental claims must be truthful, not misleading, and backed by sufficient testing or substantiation following global standards.
• The Bureau declined to specify particular claims or timing rules, noting interpretation of the law remains with courts and the Competition Tribunal.
• Several firms, including RBC and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, have already scaled back or removed public environmental commitments to avoid potential penalties.
• Later this month private parties will gain the right to lodge greenwashing complaints directly with the federal Competition Tribunal.