Loi n° 2021-1104, Article 12; Décret n° 2022-539
For brands advertising in France using "carbon neutral" wording and working out what has to sit alongside it. This page covers what you need to know and ways to avoid running into issues.
What we've seen reported
France's rules on carbon neutral advertising claims, Article L229-68 of the Environmental Code (Loi n° 2021-1104, Article 12), make "carbon neutral" claims in ads conditional on a published emissions report, reduction plan and offset details, according to its text.1,2
Last updated October 2026 · General information only, not legal advice. Sources.
What the rules cover
These are the kinds of wording France's carbon neutral advertising rules describe, according to Article L229-68 and Décret n° 2022-539, and what the text sets alongside them.1,2
| Phrase or term | In practice |
|---|---|
| "Neutre en carbone", "carbon neutral" | In an ad only where the advertiser makes an emissions report, reduction approach and offset details easily available. |
| "Zéro carbone", "avec une empreinte carbone nulle" | Listed in the decree as wording of equivalent meaning, covered on the same terms. |
| "Climatiquement neutre" | Also listed by the decree, so climate neutral phrasing in French ads is covered too. |
| "Intégralement compensé", "100 % compensé" | Offset-based phrasing the decree names, covered like a neutrality claim. |
| Emissions report (bilan) | Covers the product or service over its whole life cycle, updated every year. |
| Summary report online | On the advertiser's website or app: the carbon footprint, and how emissions are avoided, then reduced, then offset. |
| Link or QR code | Shown on the ad or packaging carrying the claim, leading to the summary report. |
French courts have already ruled on carbon neutrality claims under general consumer law.
An energy company was ordered by a Paris court, in a ruling open to appeal, to stop consumer communications about its carbon neutrality ambition that the court found misleading.
Where it goes wrong
One approved claim ends up in many channels, markets and languages. Along the way it gets shortened, translated and reworded, and some versions end up using the very phrases you are trying to avoid.
"Brew capsules: 40% lower emissions per cup than in 2022."
How Arbitr helps
Read every version by hand? Or use AI to check what you publish against what you've already approved.
FAQ
In more formats than the hero ad. Article L229-68 covers claims made in advertising,1 the decree puts the report link on the ad or pack carrying the claim,2 and we usually find the wording in:
Treat it as approved wording, not a phrase to translate fresh each time. An English line about lower emissions can come back as "neutre en carbone" or "100 % compensé" in a French edit, which is the kind of drift we see most. Give translators the approved French lines and the phrases your legal team has asked you to avoid. Our brand compliance page shows how teams track this.
The decree describes an emissions report updated every year and a summary report reached by a link or QR code,2 so tie each claim to the report year it relies on. Keep the approved wording, the report and its web address, the offset details, who approved it, and every ad and pack where it runs.
How it applies to a specific claim is a question for your legal adviser. Where that claim appears across your markets and languages is a question Arbitr answers.
Start with what's already published in France, in French and any other language your French channels use, including retailer and agency versions. Check each one links to the current summary report and trace it back to its approval, so you know which ones need a decision. Rules in other markets are on our environmental claims hub.
Not in French law so far, according to published sources. The DGCCRF said in 2025 that transposing the ECGT Directive would lead to repealing the Article L229-68 framework,3 and a Senate report names the DDADUE bill as the vehicle.4 Commentary published after September 27, 2026 reported the bill still before the National Assembly.5
According to Décret n° 2022-539, they cover "neutre en carbone", "zéro carbone", "avec une empreinte carbone nulle", "climatiquement neutre", "intégralement compensé" and "100 % compensé", and any wording of equivalent meaning or scope.2
No. Arbitr checks content against rules your team has approved, including your legal team's reading of a regulation. What a regulation means for your business stays a question for your legal adviser.
