You have just realised that your website potentially contains prohibited advertising claims. Perhaps through an article in the daily press, a query from your senior management or a tip-off from sales. Before you panic: the next 24 hours determine 90 percent of the later damage.
This page provides the structured immediate guidance — 10 concrete measures, a triage logic in three colours and a 24-hour plan that works without external consultants. Ideal for marketing leads, compliance officers and managing directors in an acute case of suspicion.
Greenwashing risks escalate in a typical sequence: first a competitor or association discovers the breach. Then evidence is secured via screenshots or web.archive.org. Finally a cease-and-desist letter or lawsuit follows. Between discovery and evidence preservation there are often only 48 hours. Anyone who acts within this window — that is, adjusts the contested content before it is archived — regularly reduces the litigation risk by two thirds.
Caution: once the breach has already been archived, deletion no longer helps. Evidence secured via the Wayback Machine and similar archive services holds up in court. Even so, swift removal reduces the risk of repetition — a legal criterion for sentencing.
Every finding is immediately assigned to one of three categories. This triage determines the response time and escalation level.
Terms such as "climate-neutral" without evidence, "sustainable" used as a blanket claim, self-issued certificates, "green". Immediate removal or rephrasing within 24 hours.
Terms such as "CO2-reduced" with a concrete comparison value, "sustainably produced" with a clear methodology. Provide an evidence dossier within 14 days.
Factual, verifiable statements such as "from regional wool", "certified with the FSC label", "37 percent less packaging than the previous model".
Step by step through the next 24 hours. Each measure can be carried out in a maximum of 60 minutes.
The suspicion inventory happens in the next 30 minutes. No meeting, no coffee — focused work at the screen.
Check the domain’s main page for 12 risk terms: climate-neutral, CO2-neutral, sustainable, green, environmentally friendly, eco, organic, recycled, plastic-free, resource-saving, ecological, environmentally conscious.
Top 10 by revenue: a 60-second scan each. On a hit: record the URL plus the wording in a table.
Assign every finding to a category: red (per se prohibited), amber (evidence required), green (uncritical).
One person per finding, with first and last name. "Marketing will handle it" is not an assignment — it needs a specific name.
Replace per se prohibited terms within 24 hours. Rephrasing instead of deletion — the content stays, the terms change.
Methodology, data sources, external certificates. Deadline 14 days. No evidence = a red finding.
Have external affiliate pages, comparison portals and influencer posts checked. Breaches there may carry liability back to you.
Screen all posts from the last 12 months against the 12 terms. Document hits and prioritise them.
Senior management countersigns the clean-up status after 24 hours. This completes the first-aid phase.
The first 24 hours secure the acute danger. Three follow-up steps establish lasting compliance.
Printable 24-hour checklist, triage table, evidence-dossier template and sign-off protocol. A4 format, ready to use.
Download PDFFree test scan: we check your website for all 12 risk terms and deliver an instant triage. No sign-up required.
12 concrete immediate checks for your website. With examples from current case law and rephrasing suggestions.
