Sustainability Masterclass | The Power of Green Advertising | 10 September 2025
THE POWER OF GREEN ADVERTISING: NAVIGATING THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE MARKETING
As scrutiny of environmental marketing intensifies, the ability to communicate sustainability claims with clarity, accuracy and credibility has become essential.
This upcoming Masterclass will provide practical guidance on applying the core principles of the ICC Advertising and Marketing Communications Code, alongside the ASA CAP Code and the CMA’s Green Claims Code, to ensure that communications meet the rising expectations of both regulators and consumers.
It will explore how organisations can navigate the twin risks of greenwashing, overstating environmental credentials, and greenhushing, withholding them out of fear of scrutiny, by striking the right balance between transparency and substantiation. With the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 now in force, and with new powers enabling the CMA to issue fines of up to 10% of global turnover, now is the time to ensure organisations are equipped to make lawful, substantiated, and globally aligned green claims.
ICC Advertising and Marketing Communications Code
Arrivals & Registration
Welcome & Opening Remarks
- Gabrielle Giner, BT Group, Chair of ICC Sustainability Committee
- Georgiana Degeratu, Policy Manager – Marketing and Advertising Commission, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- Ben Stansfield, Partner, Gowling
Keynote: Green Advertising: do consumer still give a damn?
- Solitaire Townsend, Chief Solutionist & Co-Founder, Futerra
In this keynote, Solitaire Townsend will explore whether consumers really care about sustainability—and how brands can communicate authentically in response. You’ll learn why people want to act but face barriers like cost and trust, and how marketers can create messages that resonate on functional, emotional, and social levels. The session also tackles greenwashing and greenhushing, showing how to position sustainability with confidence and impact, while connecting your role as both marketer and consumer.
Panel 1: Greenwashing: The Fine Line Between Misleading and Misinformed
Overview:
This panel will address the growing regulatory scrutiny around greenwashing, with a focus on the guidance provided codes in this self-regulated industry including the CMA’s Green Claims Code, the ASA CAP codes and the ICC Advertising and Marketing Communications Code. Experts will discuss the risks associated with exaggerating sustainability claims and provide insights into ensuring that all claims are accurate, substantiated, and clear.
Key Insights:
- The importance of scientific evidence to substantiate claims (e.g., carbon neutrality).
- The risks of vague or unsubstantiated terms like “eco-friendly” and how to avoid them.
- Practical strategies for aligning green marketing with consumer understanding and expectations.
- This panel will also emphasise the scientific substantiation required for claims like carbon neutrality and eco-friendliness, aligning with core principles. Companies must avoid vague terms and ensure their claims are grounded in reliable evidence. This discussion will provide
Speakers:
- Moderator: Dan Smith, Partner, Head of Advertising Law (UK), Gowling WLG
- Solitaire Townsend, Co-Founder and Chief Solutionist, Futerra
- Guy Parker, CEO, Advertising Standards Authority
- Laura Wade, Strategic advisor, Sustainable Marketing and Media
- Darshana Myronidis, Global Director of Sustainability, Virgin – Invited, TBC
Coffee Break
Panel 2: Green Hushing: Why Some Brands Are Silent About Their Sustainability Achievements
Overview:
While greenwashing is often discussed, green hushing — the practice of underreporting or failing to communicate sustainability efforts — remains largely unaddressed. This panel will explore why many companies, particularly in complex sectors, hesitate to disclose their environmental progress. Experts will discuss how businesses can find a balance between transparency and caution, ensuring they communicate their sustainability achievements without overstating or underplaying them.
(The CMA plays a central role in ensuring that businesses adhere to the UK’s Green Claims Code, which covers not only misleading claims (greenwashing), but their role is particularly relevant to green hushing because the authority monitors whether businesses are withholding or underreporting environmental achievements, which can mislead consumers and create competitive disadvantages
Key Insights:
- Understanding the regulatory and reputational risks of green hushing and how the CMA’s Green Claims Code ensures companies are accountable for honestly communicating sustainability efforts.
- How to communicate sustainability achievements honestly, without overstating progress.
- Finding a balance between realistic environmental goals and consumer expectations.
Speakers:
- Moderator: Alice Himsworth, Senior Counsel, Google, and Chair of ICC Marketing & Advertising Commission
- Jeremy Mathieu, Head of Sustainability, ITV
- Cecilia Parker Aranha, Director, Consumer Protection, CMA
- Gabriela Da Costa, Partner, K&L Gates
- Stephen Woodford, CEO, Advertising Association (also an Ad Net Zero Awards Judge
Closing Remarks
Networking Drinks
