A greenwashing class action lawsuit filed in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York asserted that the manufacturer and seller of Evian Natural Spring Water bottled water made false and misleading representations that the product was “carbon neutral.” The complaint alleged that the manufacturing process was not carbon neutral, and that even under the “carbon offset” definition of “carbon neutral,” the organizations with which the defendant worked to generate offsets contribute to pollution currently and the offsets will not take place for decades. The complaint asserted claims under California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and New York General Business Law §§ 349 (prohibits deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any business, trade, or commerce) and 350 (prohibits false advertising in the conduct of any business, trade, or commerce), as well as claims for breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, unjust enrichment, and fraud.

Greenwashing class action lawsuit alleging that manufacturer and seller of Evian Natural Spring Water bottled water made false and misleading representations that the product was “carbon neutral.”

Dorris v. Danone Waters of America

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Lawsuit Charged that “Carbon Neutral” Labeling of Evian Water Was Misleading

Filed

United States of America

New York

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Lawsuit Charged that “Carbon Neutral” Labeling of Evian Water Was Misleading

Target

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance