Environmental Claims and Greenwashing in Advertising: An Evaluation Based on the Advertising Board’s Decisions

The climate crisis, the reality of which scientists have proven, is being experienced as a global issue. The mounting impact of the crisis necessitates action in all areas. Environmental statements in advertisements have been closely monitored in Türkiye since December 2022. The objective of this study is to examine, exemplify, and discuss companies’ commercial advertisements and practices within the scope of the Guidelines on Advertisements Containing Environmental Claims as prepared by the Advertising Board of the Turkish Ministry of Trade’s General Directorate of Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance. The scope of the research involves advertisements with environmental claims and sanctions that have been imposed as reported in press releases from 2024. The sample comprises the bulletins from April through September of 2024. The article uses the document analysis method, employing a qualitative research design. The study’s findings include the comprehensiveness of the relevant guidelines, an analysis of various ideological constructs in advertisements, and how advertisers are complying with the responsible production and consumption policy. Establishing an auditable, evidence-based framework for environmental claims in advertising requires advertisers to assume greater accountability and responsibility for sustainability communication.