Projects
A Guide to Greenwashing (2024-2025 Project)
In partnership with the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS)
Overview
In 2024, students from the Environmental Justice Law Clinic collaborated with the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS) to research and produce A Guide to Greenwashing as a practical public resource designed to help people in Scotland understand and challenge misleading environmental claims.
The project showcases the Clinic’s commitment to connecting legal education with real-world environmental policy, while contributing directly to the legal empowerment work of ERCS.
About the Project
The term greenwashing refers to the use of false or exaggerated environmental claims by corporations, public bodies, or organisations to appear more environmentally responsible than they actually are.
Working under academic supervision and alongside ERCS’s legal team, Clinic students:
- Conducted detailed legal and regulatory research on advertising, consumer protection, and environmental claims.
- Analysed relevant Scottish, UK and EU law and regulatory guidance on environmental marketing.
- Drafted clear, accessible explanations of the law for public audiences.
- Supported ERCS in developing the structure, content, and design of the final guide.
The resulting publication - A Guide to Greenwashing - outlines what greenwashing is, why it matters, and how individuals and organisations can take action.
