Proof, not promises: Updated guide helps tourism and events industry navigate new EU greenwashing rules
The European Travel Commission (ETC), the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) and NECSTouR have published an updated edition of Proof, Not Promises: A Practical Guide to the EU Empowering Consumers Directive for Destinations. The guide supports destinations, tourism businesses and event organisers in understanding the new EU rules on environmental claims and what they mean for sustainability communication.
The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as EmpCo, has been in force since 27 September 2026. It strengthens consumer protection against misleading environmental claims and labels, requiring claims to be clear, specific and supported by evidence. These requirements apply to labels, visuals and branding as well as to written statements.
Since the first edition was published in April 2026, the GDS-Movement has worked with city and national tourism organisations through consulting projects and sustainability storytelling masterclasses. It has also discussed the guide with the European Union, industry associations and partners. The new edition builds on this experience, together with updated legal analysis.
What’s new in this edition
National implementation. A new section examines how Member States are transposing the Directive into national law. Some have incorporated the new rules mainly into existing consumer protection law. Others have spread them across several laws covering consumer protection, contracts, advertising and unfair competition. Implementation is still evolving: Poland has adopted its legislation but will apply it from 27 September 2027, and the status of five countries is yet to be confirmed.
Scope of the rules. The guide clarifies when the rules apply. EmpCo covers communication aimed at consumers, so corporate reporting and investor communications generally fall outside its scope unless they are reused in marketing. Public status does not bring automatic exemption: a DMO or other public body that sells or markets tourism products to visitors may qualify as a trader. The guidance is therefore directly relevant to national tourism organisations, DMOs, convention bureaux, venues, tourism businesses and event organisers.
Eight CREDIBLE principles: Clear, Restricted generic claims, Evidence-based, Defined, Independent verification, Beyond words, Legitimate commitments and Enforceable. These complement the 6 Steps to Credible Claims introduced in the first edition.
Climate claims. A revised section explains when claims such as “net zero” or “carbon neutral” are high-risk and how the ban on claims based on offsetting works. It also sets out what future commitments require in order to be credible.
Certification and verification. The guide looks more closely at what makes a sustainability label credible, why independent verification and accreditation matter, and what to watch out for when choosing a scheme.
The 6 Steps to Credible Claims, introduced in the first edition, remain at the heart of the guide: evaluate, define, substantiate, align, support and monitor. Together, they help organisations do six things:
- assess their exposure
- decide what can be said
- substantiate their claims
- engage partners
- build skills
- keep their communications under review
Say better, not less
The guide stresses that stricter rules should not lead to greenhushing, where organisations stop communicating genuine progress for fear of getting it wrong. Instead, organisations are encouraged to communicate openly, with reliable evidence, clear language and transparency about both achievements and limitations. This requires sustainability, operations, data and marketing teams to work together.
While EmpCo does not require organisations to be certified, it sets stricter rules for sustainability labels and places greater weight on independent verification and evidence.
An opportunity for Europe’s destinations
For Europe’s destinations, the guide presents EmpCo as more than a compliance requirement. It is an opportunity to strengthen skills, increase transparency and build trust with visitors, partners and local communities, contributing to a more resilient and trusted European tourism sector.
