Why Responsible Communicators Need To Act Now

The organisations doing things right have the most to gain from making it visible. But only if enough of the right people are willing to stand behind that standard.

The problem is not just greenwashing

The more widespread problem in sustainability communications right now is not the organisations making things up. It is the organisations doing genuine work but communicating it poorly, inconsistently, or not at all.

Caught between the risk of overstating progress and the paralysis of saying nothing, many have defaulted to a kind of strategic silence.

Both approaches erode trust. And in a market where 88% of people agree that greenwashing damages trust, and 57% say they would cut ties with a supplier found guilty of it, the cost of getting communications wrong, in either direction, is measurable and growing.

What signing the Charter actually means

The Anti-Greenwash Charter exists to solve this. Not as a regulator, and not as a badge to display and forget. It is an independent framework built on four standards: transparency, accountability, fairness, and honesty. Becoming a certified signatory means your communications have been assessed, and your organisation has committed to maintaining the Charter’s standards over time.

The process is structured and specific. It begins with an initial assessment that includes a regulatory history check covering any upheld complaints from the ASA, CMA, or FCA in the past five years, a media and public perception review, and an evaluation of current communications practice. From there, signatories develop a Green Claims Policy covering governance, standardised terminology, and the evidential requirements each claim must meet. Once approved, ongoing spot checks ensure communications remain aligned with both the policy and the Charter’s standards. Non-compliance must be resolved. Repeated failures result in suspension or revocation of signatory status.

That rigour is deliberate. It is also the point.

What it means in practice

Signatories report concrete outcomes. Fleur Carson of Karndean Designflooring noted that “independent validation has strengthened our reputation and reassured both customers and colleagues.” Kelsey Parsons of Gunnebo Entrance Control described how the Charter helped their team “communicate with greater clarity and accountability, ensuring every claim is backed by evidence.” Timothy Clement of Morgan Sindall Construction said it “demonstrated to our stakeholders that we take integrity seriously.”

These are not reputational outcomes in the abstract. Signatory status provides customers with clearer, more reliable information. It gives investors stronger governance evidence and reduced regulatory risk. It gives employees confidence that public claims reflect internal values. And it supports partners and suppliers through procurement processes and RFP responses where evidence of responsible communication practice is increasingly expected.

The Charter’s own research shows that 72% of respondents are more likely to support brands with verifiable sustainability claims. Independent validation is not a nice-to-have. It is becoming a purchasing and procurement factor.

The implication for those that do not

The regulatory environment is tightening in ways that make unsubstantiated claims an active liability. The EU’s Empowering Consumers Directive becomes binding from September 2026. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority can now fine organisations up to 10% of worldwide annual turnover for misleading claims. The number of greenwashing court cases more than doubled between 2017 and 2023.

Organisations without a documented Green Claims Policy, without evidence-based substantiation, and without independent oversight are not simply behind the curve.

They are exposed. And as the standard for responsible communications becomes more clearly defined and more publicly visible, the absence of it becomes harder to overlook.

Why we need the right organisations to sign

Since launching in 2022, the Charter has worked with certified signatories including Morgan Sindall Construction, Karndean Designflooring, Gunnebo Entrance Control, and Speedy Hire. The standard is growing. But its credibility depends on the quality of the organisations willing to be held to it.

If your communications are honest, your claims are substantiated, and your organisation is prepared to put that to an independent test, the Charter is where that commitment becomes visible, verifiable, and valued.

The organisations that act now will not simply be ahead of a compliance curve. They will help define what responsible communications looks like, and raise the bar for everyone operating in this space.

Sustainability Communications with Confidence

If your organisation wants to protect its reputation, reduce greenwashing risk, and communicate sustainability with confidence, we’d love you to join us.

📢 Become a signatory of The Anti-Greenwash Charter.
Shape the future of responsible communication and show stakeholders what honest, trusted sustainability leadership looks like.

Join the Charter →