DHL and PostNL adjust their sustainability claims following an ACM action
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has conducted investigations into the sustainability claims of the three largest parcel delivery providers in the Netherlands: DPD, DHL, and PostNL. Following discussions with ACM, DHL and PostNL have committed to adjusting their sustainability communications targeting consumers, and to no longer using several general claims that give the impression that parcel delivery has no negative impact on the environment.
Last year, ACM launched its investigation into sustainability claims in the transportation sector. In this sector, many green claims are made, whereas it is still a polluting sector with a major impact on climate. At a European level, twenty airlines were confronted with greenwashing practices. ACM recently carried out an investigation into parcel-delivery services, because consumers send and receive many parcels.
ACM launched investigations into the sustainability claims of the three largest parcel delivery providers: DPD, DHL, and PostNL. In the meantime, DPD had already adjusted or removed claims. After ACM had contacted DHL and PostNL about their sustainability claims, they made a commitment to adjusting or removing claims. For example, PostNL changed the following claim “Your parcel is sustainably delivered” into this: “For the final leg right up to your door, more and more of our delivery vans now run on electricity or biofuel” (original claims in Dutch respectively: “Je pakket wordt duurzaam bezorgd” and “Het laatste stuk tot aan je voordeur rijden we steeds vaker elektrisch of op biobrandstof”). A considerable share of those claims has already been adjusted or removed. By mid-2025 at the latest, all claims concerned will be removed, including the ones on the delivery vans with which the parcels are delivered.
Edwin van Houten, Director of ACM’s Consumer Department, adds: “Consumers more and more often buy online products and services. As a consequence, more and more parcels are also shipped and delivered”. Consumers mostly see the final kilometers of the delivery process, but parcel delivery has a much greater impact on the environment than those final kilometers have. Luckily, these businesses are aware of this, and are adjusting their claims now accordingly. Only specific claims that are based on real sustainability efforts help consumers make a well-informed choice.
ACM’s Guidelines regarding sustainability claims as the starting point
After ACM revised its Guidelines regarding sustainability claims in 2023 and announced its investigations into the transportation sector, most of the postal operators that were examined already changed and removed the most-pressing sustainability claims themselves. For example, DPD had already altered or removed all claims. Following discussions with ACM, DHL and PostNL have reviewed their sustainability communications targeting consumers. DHL committed to removing in the Netherlands all green claims such as “GoGreen” and “Naturally on the road” (original in Dutch: “Natuurlijk onderweg”). PostNL changed or removed the claims “Sustainably delivered” and “Sustainable on the road”. The claims on DHL delivery vans and PostNL delivery vans will be removed by mid-2025 at the latest.
ACM and sustainability
ACM ensures that markets work well for people and businesses, now and in the future. Sustainable production and consumption are essential for a future-ready society. ACM’s oversight over sustainability claims of companies helps realize that. Consumers must be able to make more-sustainable choices with confidence.
Consumers are not the only ones that need to be protected against misleading sustainability claims. If businesses communicate correctly and clearly about their sustainability efforts, it will help promote fair competition between businesses. ACM has published its Guidelines regarding Sustainability Claims in order to offer companies guidance about their sustainability claims.
The ACM Guidelines contain 5 rules of thumb to help companies phrase correct sustainability claims. These are:
- Use correct, clear, specific and complete sustainability claims
- Substantiate your sustainability claims with facts, and keep them up-to-date
- Make fair comparisons with other products or competitors
- Describe your future sustainability ambitions in concrete and verifiable terms
- Make sure that visual claims and labels are useful to consumers, not confusing