Vattenfall to stop using the claim “Fossil free living within one generation”

Following conversations with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), energy supplier Vattenfall will stop using the claim “Fossil free living within one generation” (in Dutch: “Fossielvrij leven binnen één generatie”). From this claim alone, consumers cannot gather what Vattenfall’s concrete sustainability efforts are or compare these efforts with those of other energy suppliers. ACM considers this sustainability claim to be possibly misleading. Vattenfall will stop using this claim and will state its climate ambitions concretely in its communications with consumers.

Edwin van Houten, Director of ACM’s Consumer Department, adds: “It’s great if companies set ambitious goals for themselves with regard to the sustainability transition. When using their ambitions in their communications with their customers, companies need to be concrete and clear. Only then will consumers be able to take into consideration properly the sustainability efforts of companies when choosing an energy supplier.”

Vattenfall has a concrete plan for reducing its carbon emissions. Following conversations with ACM, Vattenfall has decided to stop using the claim ‘Fossil free living within one generation’. The company will think about how it can bring its carbon-reduction ambitions to the attention of its customers properly.

Guidelines regarding Sustainability claims offer companies guidance

ACM’s Guidelines regarding Sustainability claims offer companies guidance about their communications regarding sustainability:

1)Use correct, clear, specific, and complete sustainability claims;
2)Substantiate your sustainability claims with facts and keep them up-to-date;
3)Make fair comparisons with other products or competitors;
4)Describe your future sustainability ambitions in concrete and verifiable terms;
5)Make sure that visual claims and labels are useful, not confusing.

ACM’s conversations with Vattenfall specifically concerned the fourth rule of thumb: a concrete and verifiable sustainability ambition. In the Guidelines, ACM gave an example of a claim that is in line with this rule of thumb: “40 percent less carbon emissions in 2030 in comparison with 2023.” In this way, an energy supplier could, for example, say what percentage of its electricity and natural gas is fossil free in a certain year. If other energy suppliers also state their ambitions in this manner, consumers will truly be able to see which energy supplier is the most ambitious. In this context, it is obviously important that feasible plans are made to realize these ambitions. Vattenfall has a concrete and verifiable plan, but the claim lacks this concreteness and verifiability. The Guidelines contain more examples of correct and incorrect claims. Click here to read the entire Guidelines.

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. Businesses that undertake sustainability efforts must be protected against businesses that do not undertake such efforts. ACM has published its Guidelines regarding Sustainability Claims in order to offer companies guidance about their sustainability claims.

See also

13-06-2023 Guidelines regarding Sustainability claims