Antigreenwashing in Practice – How to Communicate Environmental Actions in Accordance with the EmpCo Directive

Grant Thornton is an international organization providing audit, advisory, tax, and outsourcing services. It supports businesses in developing their operations, managing finances, and adapting to changing regulations and market requirements. The company also offers training conducted by experienced experts and practitioners, helping participants develop professional skills and acquire knowledge useful in their daily work.

Grant Thornton combines regulatory knowledge with practical experience in the areas of ESG, risk management, and organizational transformation. The training is led by Dr. Beata Kozyra – an expert who has collaborated with over 60 organizations from various sectors and has more than 6000 hours of training and lecturing experience. The program focuses not only on interpreting the EmpCo directive but also on its practical application in marketing, sales, ESG, and compliance. Participants will receive specific examples, tools, and tips to identify risky environmental messages and create communications that comply with regulations and are understandable to consumers. An additional value is the possibility of updating materials after legal changes, expert consultation, and further educational support. Grant Thornton is also an auditing firm, therefore, it applies high standards of quality, reliability, independence, and attention to substantive compliance in the delivery of services. The scope and level of detail of the training can be tailored to the industry, participant profile, and client needs. In the case of closed training, there is an option to provide sample communication materials in advance, which – after anonymization and agreement on the scope – will be used during the workshop part. The training includes a Q&A session.

The training is aimed at individuals responsible for marketing and sales communication, ESG activities, sustainable development, and ensuring the organization’s compliance with legal regulations. In particular, it targets specialists and managers in marketing, communication, sales, ESG, and compliance departments, as well as those involved in preparing and verifying environmental declarations, product labeling, and promotional materials.

The aim of the training is to prepare participants for the correct application of the requirements of the EmpCo (EU) 2024/825 directive in environmental communication and to counteract greenwashing practices. Participants will learn about new restrictions regarding environmental statements, the principles of justifying them, and ways to identify risky marketing and sales messages. The training also aims to develop skills in creating reliable, transparent, and compliant communication regarding environmental actions.

Upon completion of the training, participants will:

• Learn the key requirements of the EmpCo (EU) 2024/825 directive and their impact on marketing and sales communication.

• Learn to recognize greenwashing practices and identify environmental statements that may mislead consumers.

• Understand which communication practices will be prohibited and how to avoid unjustified ecological claims.

• Understand the principles of using messages regarding climate neutrality, emission compensation, and future environmental goals.

• Learn the requirements for using sustainability labels, certificates, and markings.

• Gain knowledge on documenting and justifying environmental claims using reliable data and evidence.

• Learn to assess marketing and sales materials for greenwashing risks.

• Discover practical examples and tools to support the creation of reliable environmental communication.

1. Antigreenwashing and the EmpCo (EU) 2024/825 Directive – purpose of changes, schedule, and impact on marketing and sales communication.

2. Environmental statements in practice – what they are, where they occur, and how to distinguish reliable information from misleading messages.

3. New prohibited practices – including general ecological slogans without justification, declarations concerning the entire product or company based only on a selected aspect, and unsupported plans for future improvements in environmental efficiency.

4. Climate neutrality and emission compensation – when messages like "climate neutral" may be prohibited.

5. Labels, certificates, and sustainability markings – conditions for credibility and principles of their use.

6. How to justify environmental messages – required evidence, data sources, transparency, and product life cycle perspective.

7. Communication audit – practical checklist for assessing websites, advertisements, packaging, offers, and social media content.

8. Case studies: analysis of correct and risky messages and collaborative reformulation of selected examples.

9. Legal and reputational responsibilities and risks – roles of marketing, ESG, compliance, sales, and legal departments.

10. Implementation plan in the organization – procedure for approving environmental claims and a list of actions preparing for new requirements.

6 hours

• Conducting the training.

• Training materials.

• Expert consultation after the training (0.5 hours for the first 5 people who send an email to: beata.kozyra@pl.gt.com).

• Certificate of participation.

• Temporary access to the recording.

• Dictionary of safe and risky formulations.