Food businesses are under growing pressure to prove their environmental claims. A new PLOS Climate study found that 98% of the environmental claims it assessed contained indicators of greenwashing. The researchers reviewed the latest sustainability reports and websites of 33 of the world’s largest meat and dairy companies and identified 1,233 environmental claims.
The paper makes clear that greenwashing is not just about plainly false claims. It also includes vague language, future promises without a credible pathway and small-scale initiatives presented as if they reflect wider transformation. More than a third of all claims in the study were unverifiable future promises, like ‘achieve carbon neutrality by 2030’ or ‘enable the restoration of 600 billion litres of water in water-stressed regions by 2030.’
Seventeen of the 33 companies had made net-zero or climate-neutrality commitments, yet many provided little evidence of how those targets would be achieved. The authors say these commitments appeared to rely on offsets rather than genuine decarbonisation.
The evidence gap is one of the study’s clearest findings. Of the 356 claims that included any supporting evidence, 52% pointed only to an internal pilot program or case study. The authors also found that many examples of claimed progress were small in scale or limited to individual sites, raising questions about whether they were material to the companies’ overall impact.
Why this matters for food businesses in Australia and New Zealand
Although the study looks at global meat and dairy companies, the message is relevant for food businesses across Australia and New Zealand. The issue is not just avoiding greenwashing. It is being able to show that environmental claims are specific, material and backed by evidence.
The study shows how rare that still is. Only 29% of claims included supporting evidence at all. That leaves clear room for businesses willing to do better. Claims supported by robust data, transparent methods and measurable outcomes do more than reduce the risk of reputational loss and fines of up to NZ$600,000 in New Zealand and up to A$50 million in Australia. They help show that sustainability efforts are credible, material and worth paying attention to.
Strong evidence also makes it easier to answer the questions that matter most. Where do ingredients come from? What is driving emissions? What improvement has actually been achieved? How is the claim being measured? Businesses that can answer those questions clearly are better placed to build trust with customers, respond to due diligence requests and show why their products deserve a place in competitive markets.
In that sense, evidence is not just a defensive tool. It is a commercial advantage.
How do you build sustainability claims that hold up?
To avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing while boosting your reputation, consider these steps:
- Review your claims: We can help do this with experienced, fresh eyes.
- Modify or remove weak claims: Act now if any claim doesn’t meet the ACCC’s or the Commerce Commission’s guidelines.
- Quantify with metrics: Measure the impact of your organisation, services or product, for example, the carbon footprint, recycled content and life cycle data to ensure evidence for claims is available.
- Align with standards: For climate-related claims, for example, follow the AASB guidelines in Australia and XRB guidelines in New Zealand.
- Create a policy: Develop internal guidelines on environmental claims and communicate them to staff, suppliers and marketing partners through formal and regular training.
- Avoid green-hushing: Be transparent and share your sustainability achievements, building trust and setting a positive example for the industry.
The businesses that stand apart will be the ones that can show not just ambition but proof.
Would you like tailored advice on building credible sustainability claims? Get in touch with our experts today for a greenwashing risk review.