Manufacturers accused of trying to dupe the public

A STRING of big-name companies has been caught out trying tocashinonthegreen marketingboombymaking fake claims in adverts.

Leading car makers, budget airlines, energy companies and the country's biggest supermarket chain have all been found guilty of breaking advertising rules by the independent watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Faced with rocketing numbers of complaints about adverts claiming environmental benefits, the ASA is promising to crack down on offenders. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has admitted there is "public confusion" over business attempts to cut the pollution that causes climate change.

As public awareness of the dangers of global warming has grown, companies have been clamouring to highlight their green credentials in the hope of boosting sales. But many of the claims they have made have turned out to be false.

In the last year, the ASA has upheld complaints about environmental statements in the adverts of nine companies, including Toyota, Volkswagen, easyJet, Ryanair, Scottish and Southern Energy and Tesco. Investigations concluded thatadvertswere"misleading",and many had to be withdrawn.

"In the gold rush to be green, companies can sometimes be guilty of blowing hot air," said the ASA's spokesman, Matt Wilson. "When making claims in their advertisements about the environmental friendliness of their company, product or service, some advertisers have fallen foul of the advertising codes."

He added: "The ASA needs to see robust evidence to back up any eco-friendly claims. We will continue to ensure that the public are not misled."

Therehavebeenwellover200 complaints made to the ASA about green advertising claims so far this year. This compares to 78 for the whole of 2006 and around 40 in 2003.

Among the complaints upheld in the last few months was one about a Lexus SUV advert claiming that it had "low emissions" and "zero guilt". Lexus, the luxury car division of Toyota, was told not to imply in future that a car caused little or no harm to the environment. A claim that Toyota's Prius model emitted "up to one tonne less CO2 per year" could not be proved in comparison to equivalent vehicles. Volkswagen was taken to task for describing its Golf GT TSI as having "low emissions". The ASA pointed out that car's emissions were not low when compared to all cars.

The most recent complaint to be upheld was against Johnsons Cars last week for claiming that the Volvo C30 was "designed with the utmost respect for the environment in mind". The ASA concluded this was "likely to mislead" because the car emitted more pollution than others in its class.

A claim by budget airline, easyJet, that its planes "emit 30% fewer emissions per passenger mile than traditional airlines" was dismissed as inaccurate. Ryanair, was criticised for failing to make clear the basis of its claim that "aviation accounts for just 2% of CO2 emissions".

Scottish and Southern Energy failed to substantiate a claim that it planted trees "to balance out the CO2 that your gas heating and household waste produces".

Tesco got into trouble for an advert in Bangor, Wales, claiming that produce was sourced locally when it had come from elsewhere in Wales.

The ASA has warned companies not to exaggerate environmental benefits andtoavoid"pseudo-science"and "sweeping or absolute claims".

According to the CBI director general Richard Lambert, the advertising industry has been "under siege" on environmental claims. "If we can't get our act together on a voluntary basis - and as a result the public is left confused and misinformed by a welter of conflicting data - then regulation of the most restrictive kind is likely to come our way."

Lambert called on the advertising industry and business to work together to develop a standard to "eliminate public confusion". The National Consumer Councilhasalsobeenarguingfor improved guidelines.

Friends of the Earth Scotland chief executive,DuncanMcLarencommented: "It is vital, if people are to be able to play their part in tackling problems such as climate change, that advertisers tell the truth".