Adidas: Court bans Adidas from making major marketing claim in its ads - here's what you need to know

A German court ordered Adidas to stop a series of advertisements claiming that the shoe company will be climate neutral by 2050. Environmental Action Germany , a nongovernmental organization, filed a lawsuit against Adidas in November 2024 alleging that the company misled the public regarding a climate-neutral marketing campaign. On March 26, the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court ruled in favor of Environmental Action Germany. According to a press release from the court, the ruling is based on Adidas' failure to explain how it would achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This comes after Adidas introduced the campaign on its website in July 2024. The court ruled that the company's "We will be climate neutral by 2050" statement created an inaccurate impression that the pledge would be achieved solely through its own emission reductions. However, the court ruled that Adidas was vague in its pledge. "The company did not explicitly state in the drop-down menus whether the targeted climate neutrality would be achieved solely through a reduction in CO2 emissions or also through CO2 offset certificates," the press release stated . "In fact, the sporting goods manufacturer intends to use offsetting measures in the form of the purchase of green electricity certificates to achieve climate neutrality in 2050." Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality? Greenwashing occurs when a company intentionally misleads consumers into believing that its products or services are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. This can negatively impact the environment by creating a false sense of progress in attempts to reach climate goals. Greenwashing campaigns can cultivate a culture of mistrust among consumers regarding environmental policies. This could further delay actual progress toward carbon-neutral actions. Jürgen Resch, the federal managing director of Environmental Action Germany, released a statement following the legal victory. "Adidas deceived its customers with its promise of alleged climate neutrality," Resch said . "The decisive factor is whether and to what extent the company actually aligns its products and business activities with greater climate compatibility." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips , and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.