Why in the News?
The Government has released guidelines to prevent and regulate greenwashing and misleading environmental claims, ensuring companies substantiate claims like "natural" or "organic" with scientific evidence.
What Is Greenwashing?
- It is a term derived from whitewashing, referring to a marketing strategy in which companies misleadingly assert or overstate the environmental advantages of their products or services.
- This is often done using ambiguous or unsupported terms like natural, Eco-friendly or green.
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About Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
- Established: July 20, 2020, under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019
- Ministry: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- Chief Commissioner: Nidhi Khare.
- It commenced operations at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), establishing its base for consumer protection activities.
- It utilizes support staff from the Centre for Consumer Studies and the National Consumer Helpline, both of which have received financial backing from the Department since 2007.
- Objectives and Functions:
- The primary goal of the CCPA is to promote, protect, and enforce the rights of consumers collectively.
- The authority is empowered to
- Conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights.
- Initiate complaints and prosecutions.
- Order the recall of unsafe goods and services.
- Discontinue unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements.
- Impose penalties on manufacturers, endorsers, and publishers of misleading advertisements.
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