How do you win leads from the EmpCo directive as a software company?

The EmpCo directive has applied since 27 September 2026 and bans vague and unproven green claims to consumers. You win leads from it with pages for brands that now have to prove their claims. Think: what is still allowed, does this apply to me, a claims checklist and a software comparison.

You sell software for carbon measurement, product data or labels. This week your clients are reviewing every “climate neutral” on their packaging and asking Google or ChatGPT what is still allowed. We build that kind of knowledge base as a content marketing agency for software companies. How to keep that content accurate and current is covered in regulation as a lead source.

What is the EmpCo directive, and who does it affect?

EmpCo stands for Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, Directive (EU) 2024/825, also known as the empowering consumers directive. You will also see the abbreviation ECGT. It amends two existing consumer directives: the one on unfair commercial practices and the one on consumer rights.

What a software vendor needs to know, as of 28 September 2026, according to the questions and answers of the European Commission from September 2026:

In the Netherlands the law has been passed and the rules have applied since 27 September 2026, reports Ondernemersplein of the Dutch government.

Which software companies sell into EmpCo?

Anyone whose product helps prove or check a claim. Your buyer sells to consumers: food, fashion, personal care, energy or packaging.

Some of those buyers also report under CSRD or VSME. Then both rules reinforce each other, see CSRD and VSME as a lead source.

How does the EmpCo directive change your marketing as a sustainability company?

Your own B2B marketing does not fall under EmpCo itself. The Commission says so literally: B2B commercial practices fall outside the directive. Other EU rules on misleading advertising do apply to B2B.

Your marketing still changes. If you help clients prove claims, you have to communicate impeccably yourself. And your message shifts from “go greener” to “prove what you say”: a stronger reason to buy, with a date attached.

1. Reread your own site. Remove “sustainable platform” without explanation, in B2B too.
2. Rewrite your use cases. From “report your impact” to “back up every claim on your packaging”.
3. Give your clients the words. A list of claims that are still allowed, and the data behind them, is your best lead magnet.

Which pages do you build to win leads from EmpCo?

Follow your buyer’s path, from “what is it” to “which tool”. For EmpCo that means five pages:

Under each page, put four or five real buyer questions in an FAQ section.

What does a brand ask a software supplier about EmpCo?

Anyone choosing a tool for claims asks questions that come straight from the directive. Answer them on your product and comparison pages. That shows you know the rule, not just your own software.

• Does the tool show emissions in your own value chain? A climate claim about a product may only rest on the real impact within that chain. Offsetting outside it does not count.
• Does the tool find claims in brand and product names? According to the Commission, a name with “eco” or “green” can already be an environmental claim in itself.
• What about old stock? The rules also apply to products and packaging already made or distributed before 27 September 2026.
• Does the tool keep the evidence for a future claim? A target like “climate neutral by 2030” requires a plan that an independent expert checks regularly.

Every answer points to the screen in your product that does the work. That is the part no lawyer and no competitor writes for you.

How much search volume is there around EmpCo, and what does it cost in Google Ads?

Little on the name of the rule. According to Google Ads data (twelve-month average, 28 September 2026):

Low volume, high intent: someone typing “empco richtlijn” has a problem on their packaging. Long questions such as “can I still say climate neutral” often show zero volume in tools. In Search Console they do generate impressions.

Advertising on the buying term in the same sustainability market is expensive. “csrd software” costs about 41 dollars per click in the Netherlands, against a few dollars for “empco”. More figures per sector are in our CPC benchmarks. Weigh one article against those clicks with the click-or-article calculator, or read how to reduce your dependence on Google Ads.

What is the status of the Green Claims directive?

EmpCo is settled, the rules on green claims are not. The separate Green Claims directive is a proposal that has not been adopted yet. The file at the European Parliament stands at “awaiting Council’s first reading position”. On 20 June 2025 the Commission announced that it intends to withdraw the proposal. Negotiations have stalled since then, although the file formally remains open (European Parliament).

For your content, that means two things. Always describe Green Claims as a proposal, with its current status. And build your pages on EmpCo, because those rules already apply and are enforced.

When we are not the right choice

If you only sell to companies that sell nothing to consumers, EmpCo does not affect your buyers. Then choose another rule. If you want an opinion on a specific claim, you need a lawyer, not an agency. And if you do not have a product that helps prove or check claims, this content brings traffic but few leads. Content with us starts from 950 euros per month for 5 articles, with a minimum of three months.

Frequently asked questions

What is the EmpCo directive?

EmpCo is Directive (EU) 2024/825, also called ECGT. From 27 September 2026 it bans vague and unproven green claims to consumers. Climate claims about a product based on offsetting outside your own value chain are also banned, as are labels without certification or a public basis.

Does EmpCo also apply to B2B companies?

According to the European Commission, the directive is strictly limited to commercial practices towards consumers. B2B falls outside it, although member states may extend the protection. Other rules on misleading advertising do apply to B2B.

Is the Green Claims directive already in force?

No. It is a proposal that has not been adopted yet. Say so on your pages and reread them when there is news.