„ESG-compliant"
§ 5 Abs. 1 UWG i.V.m. Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (EU 2024/825)
What does it mean?
The term 'ESG-compliant' without concrete substantiation is a generic environmental claim which may be misleading under § 5 UWG i.V.m. Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (EU 2024/825). Consumers expect such a claim to provide comprehensible information about the ecological and social impact of the product or company. Use of the term is only permissible in conjunction with recognised ESG ratings (e.g. MSCI, Sustainalytics) or SFDR classification (Art. 8 or 9) stating the proportion of sustainable investments. The mere assertion of ESG compliance without evidence constitutes withheld information pursuant to § 5b UWG and may lead to warnings.
Typical phrasings
- 'ESG-compliant fund'
- 'ESG-integrated investment'
- 'We attach importance to ESG criteria'
Required evidence
- MSCI ESG Rating (with specific rating and date)
- Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating (with specific rating and date)
- SFDR classification Art. 8 or 9 (stating the proportion of sustainable investments)
- EU Taxonomy alignment report pursuant to Art. 8 Taxonomie-VO
Rechtsgrundlage (Originalwortlaut)
Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (i.d.F. EmpCo) — generische Umweltaussage ohne anerkannte Nachweise
Quelle: Richtlinie (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) — verbindlich ist ausschließlich die im Amtsblatt der Europäischen Union veröffentlichte Fassung.
DEDeutsch (amtlich, DE-Fassung Amtsblatt)aufklappenzuklappen
„Treffen einer allgemeinen Umweltaussage, wobei der Gewerbetreibende die anerkannte hervorragende Umweltleistung, auf die sich die Aussage bezieht, nicht nachweisen kann."ENEnglish (Official Journal, EN version)aufklappenzuklappen
„Making a generic environmental claim for which the trader is not able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim."FRFrançais (Journal officiel, version FR)aufklappenzuklappen
„Présenter une allégation environnementale générique au sujet de laquelle le professionnel n'est pas en mesure de démontrer l'excellente performance environnementale reconnue en rapport avec l'allégation."NLNederlands (Publicatieblad, NL versie)aufklappenzuklappen
„Het maken van een generieke milieuclaim zonder dat de handelaar erkende voortreffelijke milieuprestaties kan aantonen die relevant zijn voor de claim."Empcora is a pure checking and documentation service and provides general information only on the legal situation based on the EmpCo Directive (EU 2024/825) and the unfair-competition / consumer-protection law transposing it in your jurisdiction including references. This is not individual legal advice and includes neither the rewriting nor the drafting of texts. No liability or warranty is assumed for the correctness, completeness or up-to-dateness of the analysis, nor for any legal consequences. The legal assessment of an individual case rests with an admitted law firm or lawyer.