In 2007, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began the process of revising its “Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims,” also known as the Green Guides. The revision to the Green Guides is the first since 1998, when phrases like “carbon offset” and “renewable energy” were not widely used. At the end of 2012, the FTC unanimously voted to finalize the revisions and make the new Green Guides effective immediately.
 
The revisions include some changes to the proposed guidelines that the FTC circulated in October 2010, and they reflect input from consumers and industry groups. New ...