Danone is not green enough for Americans!
Danone faces legal action in the United States from January 10, 2024. The reason? Avian water bottles. Misguided American consumers accuse Danon of not keeping its environmental promises. Avian’s carbon neutrality, certified by the Carbon Trust since 2020, is based on carbon offsetting, a controversial method that calls into question the integrity of companies’ climate commitments. This is surprising, as Danone is often awarded for its climate commitment.
American consumers criticize Danone for promoting Evian bottles as “carbon neutral”., while the production of these bottles actually produces CO2 and other pollution. They believe that they were deceived, because if they knew this they would not like Avian. Danone claims to offset these emissions by investing in environmental projects, such as planting trees, but consumers dispute the effectiveness of this method.
Several companies have been sued
The Avian Affair shows that henceforth, Consumers demand tangible evidence of companies’ green commitment. There is confusion and growing complaints around terms like “carbon neutral”. Companies including Danone are being pressured to review their communications and concretely prove their actions in favor of the climate. New European anti-greenwashing regulations, the most ambitious in the world, reinforce this trend.
Faced with increased legal action and evolving regulatory frameworks, companies have been forced to review their strategies. In July 2023, the Grantham Institute revealed that more than 80 companies had been taken to court for failing to deliver on their environmental promises or making false claims about their climate actions. The European directive, planned for 2026, will ban claims of carbon neutrality without concrete evidence. This legislative pressure is with consumers, who are increasingly informed and demanding. They expect real action.
