The CFA supports the goal of providing Canadians with measures that prevent misleading labelling practices, including “greenwashing”, that empower Canadians to make informed decisions.
However, the CFA continues to express concerns regarding the greenwashing provisions, the proposed guidelines, and the extension of the private right to action to environmental claims. These concerns are exacerbated by the current political and economic uncertainty currently facing Canada.
As detailed in CFA’s previous submission, the newly added provisions are vague and undefined, especially terms such as “internationally recognized methodologies”. Furthermore, the CFA is concerned with the potential increase in frivolous lawsuits due to the expansion of the private right to action that would push businesses to remain silent and thus contribute to “greenhushing” instead of effectively combatting “greenwashing”.