ASA Ruling on Charles Tyrwhitt Shirts Ltd

"A paid-for Facebook ad for Charles Tyrwhitt, a clothing retailer, seen in July 2023, featured an image of a print cotton shirt. Text on the post stated “[…] We’re proud to be a Carbon Neutral business”. The relevant advertising code required the basis of environmental claims be made clear. Unqualified claims could mislead if material information was omitted. Relevant guidance stated that advertisers should avoid using unqualified carbon neutral claims, and should not omit information for consumers that explains the basis for such claims. Accurate information about whether (and the degree to which) the claim was based on an active reduction in carbon emissions or based on offsetting should be included to ensure consumers understood the basis on which carbon neutrality was achieved. The Advertising Standards Authority determined that because there was no qualifying information in the ad which outlined the basis for the “carbon neutral” claim, which was significant information that consumers needed to know in order to fully understand the claim’s meaning, the ad was misleading, in breach of the relevant codes.