22 Feb 2023 --- The South Korean ministry of environment plans to introduce a fine of up to ₩3 million (US$ 2,300) for companies that mislead the public about their environmental impacts. While the ministry can fine companies that commit greenwashing, it needs to follow a complex process to determine the penalty amount. The new regulation is expected to simplify the process and allow the ministry to take a stronger stance on greenwashing. However, environmental organizations such as Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) say there also needs to be regulation around greenwashing branding companies, which are not advertisements to sell specific products but to promote a company’s general brand image. “On a similar note, regulators need to closely monitor greenwashing companies’ business plans and be ready to challenge companies even at the planning stage if the plans contradict what the companies are advertising,” Jihyeon Ha, head of legal operations at SFOC tells PackagingInsights.
