ACCC begins ‘greenwashing’ crackdown on companies’ false environmental claims

Boss of competition regulator says scrutiny of climate claims, including over carbon credits, will be an enforcement priority

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The competition watchdog has begun a crackdown on greenwashing" by Australian companies, surveying the internet for companies making false claims about environmental action after a global investigation found as many as 40% may be fraudulent.

Gina Cass-Gottlieb, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, told a House of Representative hearing on Tuesday that increasingly large proportions of consumers" were making decisions based on products' sustainability credentials.

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