Leading apparel retailer H&M Group and outdoor clothing company Norrøna are facing heat over their ‘misleading environmental claims’ as Norway’s consumer watchdog, The Norwegian Consumer Agency, has issued warnings in this regard and said that their use of the Higg Index is insufficient as a tool to support their environmental claims.
The Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman is a Government-appointed ombudsman in Norway for consumer affairs.
It believes Norrøna is ‘breaking the law’ in marketing clothes as environment-friendly and has issued a warning to H&M Group against using the same type of environmental claims.
Norrøna has based its advertising on the industry tool Higg MSI, which measures the environmental impact of various textiles.
The agency says while it welcomes steps to make the industry more environment-friendly, it is concerned over the use of the Higg MSI tool to make environmental claims.
It has also warned H&M Group of its use or planned use of the Higg MSI to communicate the environmental benefits of its products to consumers.
“When the clothing industry and others use environmental claims in marketing, it is important that the environmental claims are correct. It is a basic principle that marketing should be truthful and give the most balanced and precise impression of any environmental benefits. If not, consumers risk making purchasing choices on the wrong basis,” says Trond Rønningen, Director of the Norwegian Consumer Agency.
