Why the ECGT Directive matters for B2B PR

The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive officially came into force on 27 September 2026, and is set to change how businesses make sustainability claims.

While the new directive directly targets B2C organisations and business practices, there is a knock-on effect for B2B, where boundaries are often blurred further downstream, throughout the supply chain. Moving forward this could fundamentally change how brands communicate their environmental credentials.

The new rules place greater scrutiny on generic environmental claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” and “sustainable”, alongside sustainability labels and claims about future environmental performance. Businesses will need robust, up-to-date evidence behind their ESG communications and greater consistency across channels.

In terms of practical outcomes, recent conversations with directly affected clients suggest that larger corporate PR, Public Affairs and Communications teams, with a strong European presence, are well ahead with this, with several measures already in place, and a watching brief.

Here is a quick round up of actionable evaluations to help get started:

Audit existing messaging. Review press releases, websites, campaigns, social posts, thought leadership and case studies for environmental claims that may need stronger evidence.

Build an evidence bank. Collaborate with sustainability, legal and data teams to build an accessible library of approved claims, evidence, methodologies and sources.

Create a claims checklist. Before launch, check whether each claim is specific, substantiated and supported by current evidence, and whether the imagery or overall campaign could mislead.

Align communications. Ensure the sustainability narrative shared with journalists is consistent across marketing, sales, investor and corporate communications.

Train spokespeople. Prepare senior leaders and in-house industry experts to discuss environmental performance accurately and confidently, especially when addressing targets and future ambitions.

For B2B PR, this isn't simply a compliance challenge. It is actually a great opportunity to make sustainability communications more credible, evidence-led and valuable.

The brands that can turn complex environmental data into clear, authenticated stories are ultimately the ones that earn the greatest trust.