OCTET360 Academy

Green Claims Essentials™: Making Credible, Evidence-Based Environmental Claims

Categories: Green Claims
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About Course

Build confidence in creating and reviewing credible environmental claims.

Green Claims Essentials™ is a practical, self-paced professional training course designed for people involved in marketing, sustainability, product development, procurement, supply chains, compliance and corporate communications.

Through practical examples and realistic scenarios, you will learn how to recognise environmental claims, understand the UK green claims framework, assess supporting evidence and identify claims that require greater scrutiny.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Recognise explicit and implied environmental claims
  • Understand the six principles of the CMA Green Claims Code
  • Assess evidence and substantiation supporting environmental claims
  • Review terms such as “sustainable”, “eco-friendly”, “recyclable”, “biodegradable” and carbon-related claims
  • Understand how environmental claims should be governed across supply chains
  • Apply the OCTET360 Claims Check™ before a claim is communicated

Course format: Self-paced online learning | Approx. 2 hours | 6 modules | Practical scenarios | Final assessment | Downloadable toolkit | Certificate of completion

Assessment: A 15-question final assessment. A score of 80% or above is required to pass.

No previous green claims or sustainability expertise is required.

This course provides professional education and awareness and does not constitute legal advice.

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What Will You Learn?

  • Recognise explicit and implied environmental claims
  • Understand the six principles of the CMA Green Claims Code
  • Identify common greenwashing risks
  • Distinguish broad, specific and comparative environmental claims
  • Assess whether evidence appropriately supports a green claim
  • Review recycled content, recyclability and disposal claims
  • Recognise key considerations for carbon neutral and net zero claims
  • Assess supplier evidence and environmental claims across supply chains
  • Apply the OCTET360 Claims Check™ to environmental communications
  • Build stronger governance and traceability around green claims

Course Content

Module 1 — Understanding Green Claims & Greenwashing
Learn what environmental claims are, how they can be explicit or implied, and why the overall impression created by words, images and context matters. This module introduces greenwashing, broad and specific claims, comparative claims, and the importance of building environmental communications from evidence.

  • 1.1 What Is a Green Claim?
  • 1.2 Explicit and Implied Claims
  • 1.3: What Is Greenwashing?
  • 1.4 Broad, Specific and Comparative Claims
  • 1.5 Evidence before communication
  • 1.6 Practical scenario: GreenClean bottle
  • Module 1 knowledge check

Module 2: UK Green Claims Framework
Understand the UK framework governing environmental claims and the principles businesses should apply when communicating environmental information to consumers. This module introduces the CMA Green Claims Code, the role of the ASA and CAP, and the six core principles for making credible environmental claims. Suggested learning time: 25 minutes Module learning outcomes By the end of this module, learners should be able to: • Identify the six principles of the CMA Green Claims Code • Explain why environmental claims must be truthful, clear and appropriately substantiated • Recognise when important information or qualifications may need to accompany a claim • Identify the characteristics of a fair environmental comparison • Explain why the wider life cycle may need to be considered • Apply the six principles when reviewing environmental communications

Module 3: Evidence and substantiation
Learn how to assess whether evidence is appropriate for an environmental claim. This module introduces a practical evidence review method, explores different types of supporting information, considers supplier evidence and evidence validity, and shows how organisations can maintain a traceable Green Claims Register. Suggested learning time: 25 minutes Module learning outcomes By the end of this module, learners should be able to: • Explain why evidence should exist before an environmental claim is communicated • Apply five practical criteria when reviewing supporting evidence • Distinguish between different types and strengths of evidence • Assess whether supplier information adequately supports a proposed claim • Recognise when existing evidence should be reviewed or refreshed • Understand how a Green Claims Register can support governance and traceability

Module 4: Claims that need extra care
Some environmental claims can communicate much more than businesses intend. This module examines claims that need particular care, including broad sustainability language, recycled content, recyclability, biodegradability, compostability, carbon claims, future environmental commitments and comparative claims. Suggested learning time: 20 minutes Module learning outcomes By the end of this module, learners should be able to: • Recognise environmental claims that may require greater scrutiny • Explain why broad terms such as “sustainable” and “eco friendly” can create wide environmental impressions • Identify important considerations when communicating recycled content and recyclability • Recognise the importance of conditions when making biodegradability and compostability claims • Identify key considerations surrounding carbon neutral and net zero claims • Recognise the evidence and governance considerations associated with future environmental commitments

Module 5: Green claims across the supply chain
Environmental claims often depend on information that originates elsewhere in the supply chain. This module explores how environmental information moves between suppliers, manufacturers, brands and retailers, how claims can change as they move through organisations, and why businesses need processes for verifying, recording and maintaining the evidence behind claims. Suggested learning time: 15 minutes Module learning outcomes By the end of this module, learners should be able to: • Explain how environmental claims and evidence move through supply chains • Recognise the risks of relying on unsupported supplier statements • Identify how environmental information can change as it moves between organisations and teams • Apply practical questions when reviewing supplier evidence • Explain the importance of traceability and change notification • Recognise the role of internal governance in maintaining credible environmental claims

The OCTET360 Claims Check™
Bring the course together using the OCTET360 Claims Check™, a practical method for reviewing environmental claims before they are communicated. The method considers six areas: Claim, Scope, Evidence, Context, Approval and Monitor. Suggested learning time: 10 minutes Module learning outcomes By the end of this module, learners should be able to: • Apply the OCTET360 Claims Check™ to a proposed environmental claim • Identify the intended and implied meaning of a claim • Define the scope of the environmental characteristic being communicated • Check whether evidence appropriately supports the claim • Identify important context, qualifications and limitations • Recognise the importance of ownership, review and approval • Identify changes that should trigger future review

Final assessment
You have now completed all six learning modules of Green Claims Essentials™. This final assessment tests your ability to recognise, review and evaluate environmental claims using the principles and practical methods covered throughout the course. The assessment contains 15 multiple choice questions, including practical scenarios. Pass mark: 80% Questions: 15 Required to pass: 12 correct answers Read each question carefully and select the best answer based on the information provided.