Template

Green Claims Evidence Checklist

A practical checklist for reviewing whether a sustainability claim has enough proof before using it publicly.

How to use this template

Use this checklist before publishing or trusting a sustainability claim. It helps make scope, source links, limitations, and missing proof visible.

Who should use it

Brand teams, founders, marketers, students, SMEs, procurement teams, and anyone checking sustainability claim language.

What it helps with

Checking claim meaning, evidence available, evidence missing, boundaries, source dates, safer wording, red flags, and final review notes.

Write the exact claim statement.
Define what the claim means in plain language.
Identify product, service, brand, site, material, packaging, time period, or process scope.
Remove vague words unless the claim can be made specific and evidence-aware.

List source links, certificates, test reports, supplier documents, policy documents, photos, or internal records.
Record certificate scope, date, issuer, product/site coverage, and limitations.
List missing evidence honestly.
Mark evidence as public source, brand claim, reviewed document, certification, or third-party audit where relevant.

Replace broad claims with specific, scoped language.
Add source links or proof context where possible.
Use cautious wording such as based on available information or supplier-provided evidence where appropriate.
Avoid implying certification, verification, or full impact unless that is clearly supported.

No source links.
Outdated or unrelated evidence.
Certification logo without scope.
Claim covers the whole product when evidence covers only one part.
Carbon neutral or net zero claim without method, boundary, reduction plan, and offsets explanation.
Final decision: use, revise, hold for evidence, or do not use.

This checklist is an educational claim-review aid, not official verification or certification.
Use qualified legal, regulatory, advertising, or technical review before formal public claims where needed.

How to use this template

Use this checklist before publishing or trusting a sustainability claim. It helps make scope, source links, limitations, and missing proof visible.

Who should use it

Brand teams, founders, marketers, students, SMEs, procurement teams, and anyone checking sustainability claim language.

What it helps with

Checking claim meaning, evidence available, evidence missing, boundaries, source dates, safer wording, red flags, and final review notes.

Evidence available and missing

List source links, certificates, test reports, supplier documents, policy documents, photos, or internal records.

Record certificate scope, date, issuer, product/site coverage, and limitations.

List missing evidence honestly.

Mark evidence as public source, brand claim, reviewed document, certification, or third-party audit where relevant.

Safer wording

Replace broad claims with specific, scoped language.

Add source links or proof context where possible.

Use cautious wording such as based on available information or supplier-provided evidence where appropriate.

Avoid implying certification, verification, or full impact unless that is clearly supported.

Red flags and final review notes

No source links.

Outdated or unrelated evidence.

Certification logo without scope.

Claim covers the whole product when evidence covers only one part.

Carbon neutral or net zero claim without method, boundary, reduction plan, and offsets explanation.

Final decision: use, revise, hold for evidence, or do not use.