By Philipp Meister, Managing Director & Global Chemicals Lead; Alice Joubay, Principal Strategist, Chemicals Sector Lead – Switzerland, Middle East and Asia; and Janina Morgen Cros, Communications & Engagement Specialist, Quantis
Demand for greener chemicals is growing – and so is the pressure to prove the “green” claim. More than 70% of chemical manufacturing leaders expect sales of low-carbon products to rise in the coming years, while 65% of procurement leaders now rank sustainability as a top driver of purchasing decisions.¹ ² For producers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the commercial case for sustainability is clear and communication has become as important as delivery. Yet as environmental claims multiply across the industry, so does the risk of getting them wrong. Amid increasing regulatory restriction of green claims, the companies that will pull ahead are not necessarily those making the most progress on sustainability, but those that have learned to communicate that progress in a way that holds up to scrutiny.
Environmental claims are assertions about the positive environmental profile of a product or service – covering how it is produced, packaged, distributed, or disposed of, and the impacts it generates across climate, water, land use, and more. Unlike a broad corporate sustainability narrative, which describes a company’s direction and values, a claim implies a specific, verifiable benefit – and it is this distinction that makes getting them right both more demanding and more consequential.
The credibility tightrope: greenwashing and greenhushing
Most sustainability communication failures fall into one of two camps:
Greenwashing – making claims that are vague, unsubstantiated, or misleading – is the more visible of the two, and regulatory pressure around it is hardening fast. The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), enforceable from September 2026, is the most far-reaching example: it bans generic terms such as “eco-friendly” or “green” unless backed by independent verification, restricts carbon neutrality claims, and carries fines of up to 4% of annual turnover. While EmpCo targets B2C communications directly, its implications extend to B2B suppliers – when consumer brands must substantiate their claims, those requirements reach back through the value chain. Similar developments are unfolding across the globe, through enforceable guidelines in the United States and mandatory substantiation requirements in markets such as South Korea.
Less discussed, but equally damaging, is greenhushing – the deliberate choice to stay quiet about genuine sustainability progress for fear of scrutiny. Companies that downplay real achievements forfeit the commercial signal their customers are actively seeking, weaken transparency across the value chain, and reduce the collective motivation to act.
The answer to both is the same: communicate – but communicate credibly.
Five principles for getting it right
Drawing on internationally recognized standards – including ISO, the FTC Green Guides, and the UN Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information – Quantis’ Guidelines for Credible, Science-driven Environmental Footprint Claims outline five core principles that provide a practical framework for any business looking to communicate sustainability with confidence:
- Specific. Claims must clearly state what is being assessed – which product, which life cycle stages, which environmental indicator, and for which geography. Terms like “sustainable,” “green,” or “environmentally friendly,” used without substantiation, are not only vague, they are increasingly prohibited. A claim that says “lower carbon emissions in the Middle East compared to product B, based on a 2024 ISO-compliant life cycle assessment” is specific. A claim that says “good for the environment” is not.
- Measurable. Claims must be substantiated with reliable, science-based data from recognized methodologies. This means citing the standard used, stating the unit of measurement, providing precise quantitative data, and, where possible, having results independently verified by a third party.
- Relevant. A claim should highlight aspects where meaningful environmental benefit exists, without cherry-picking favorable data points while obscuring others. Communicating a packaging improvement while ignoring a much larger upstream impact, for example, risks the very misleading impression that greenwashing regulations are designed to prevent.
- Understandable. Data has no value if it cannot be interpreted. Abstract figures (e.g., kg CO₂-eq per unit) become powerful communication tools when translated into equivalencies a customer can intuitively grasp, such as the equivalent of charging a phone 75 times, or driving 200 km by car.
- Accessible. The evidence behind a claim must be publicly available, free of charge, and easy to find. A QR code linking to a technical summary, a published methodology, or a peer-reviewed lifecycle assessment (LCA) report transforms a marketing statement into a verifiable assertion.
The science behind the claim: Why LCA is the foundation
Applying these five principles in practice comes down to one thing: data. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a commonly used methodology for substantiating environmental claims. LCA traces the environmental impact of a product across its full value chain, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, distribution, use, and end of life. In the chemical sector, the most widely used application is the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), a focused subset of LCA that evaluates climate impact specifically.
Not all PCFs, however, are equal in what they enable a company to communicate externally. A screening-level PCF is a useful internal diagnostic tool that identifies hotspots, guides decision-making, and helps prioritize investment. A full ISO-compliant PCF (or LCA), by contrast, is built on primary data, documented methodology, and third-party critical review and it is this level of rigor that regulators, customers, and downstream brands increasingly require to adequately substantiate a supplier’s sustainability claim.
This distinction matters, especially for GCC producers operating within complex B2B value chains. Chemicals are rarely end products – they are components embedded in the fabrics, packaging, coatings, and materials that consumer-facing brands then bring to market. When a fashion company, a packaging manufacturer, or a personal care brand needs to substantiate a B2C sustainability claim under EmpCo or similar regulation, the credibility of that claim depends directly on the quality and traceability of the environmental data it receives from its chemical suppliers.
Getting claims right upstream is therefore not just a producer’s internal concern – it is a prerequisite for the value chain to communicate with integrity. The path forward is clear:
- Ground all claims in science-based data – invest in ISO-compliant PCFs as the foundation for any external communication
- Apply the five principles consistently – specific, measurable, relevant, understandable, and accessible claims are the standard that regulators, customers, and partners increasingly expect
- Embed claims governance as a shared responsibility – across Marketing, Sales, Legal, and Sustainability; credible communication cannot be owned by a single function
- Act now rather than wait – the regulatory landscape is moving fast, and early movers will be better positioned to meet customer expectations and access new markets
As customer expectations and regulatory requirements converge, credible sustainability communication is becoming an imperative – and those that learn how to “say it right” will be best placed to stay ahead.
Sources: Quantis’ Guidelines for Credible, Science-driven Environmental Footprint Claims (V2:2025), developed in accordance with ISO standards, the FTC Green Guides, and the UN Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information.
¹ L.E.K. Consulting. (2024). Meeting customer demand through sustainable innovation. L.E.K. Consulting.
² EcoVadis. (2024). Sustainable procurement barometer 2024. EcoVadis.
In collaboration with Quantis, GPCA organized a dedicated webinar in June entitled “Build Your Green Claims Right: A Practical Webinar for Chemical Professionals.” GPCA members can now watch the recording on demand and gain first-hand insights on how to address sustainability claims in a compliant and responsible manner.