Singapore

Presently, Singapore does not have legislation or regulations that specifically target greenwashing. However, there are certain consumer protection and false advertising-related laws and regulations that have been used to regulate greenwashing and environmental claims, including the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (CPFTA) and the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP).

 

Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003

The CPFTA protects consumers from unfair practices, including false or misleading environmental claims. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) is the primary authority that regulates the CPFTA. Under the CPFTA, businesses are prohibited from making false environmental claims, misleading or deceptive environmental statements, or omitting material facts in their marketing and advertising.

In February 2024, the Minister of State for Trade and Industry confirmed that the CPFTA is broad enough to capture greenwashing. Examples of unfair practices under the CPFTA that may apply to greenwashing include false or misleading claims that goods or services have certain environmental benefits they do not possess.

 

Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP)

The SCAP is published by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) – a council under the Consumers Association of Singapore responsible for promoting ethical advertising in Singapore. Under the SCAP, businesses that make environmental claims in advertisements must ensure that such statements are clear, substantiated, and not misleading. Accordingly, advertisements that are found to misrepresent or overstate the environmental impact of a good or service can result in action by the ASAS.

 

Corporate reporting requirements

The Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX) has introduced several mandatory climate-related reporting requirements for listed companies.

• In 2022, the SGX began mandating climate reporting, requiring listed companies in certain industries to disclose their social and environmental performance or provide an explanation for non-disclosure. These reporting requirements have subsequently been expanded to include certain high climate-related risk industries, including agriculture, energy, construction, and transportation.
• Beginning in the 2025 financial year, the SGX and Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore (ACRA) are progressively phasing in mandatory climate-related disclosures for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

 

Enforcement actions

Although there are no specific greenwashing laws in Singapore, as discussed above, various regulators have the authority to take action against misleading environmental claims under existing laws. For example, the CCCS can investigate and address suspected CPFTA violations, and the ASAS can require businesses to amend or remove misleading advertisements. The SGX may also take regulatory action for breaches of disclosure requirements related to environmental disclosures.

To date, there have been several greenwashing investigations under the consumer protection and advertising and market regime.

• For example, as reported in a prior DLA update, in December 2023, the ASAS found for the first time that an advertisement by PRISM+ – a Singapore-based consumer goods company – that claimed the company’s air conditioners were the “best tip” to “save Earth” had breached the SCAP due to misleading claims about the environmental impact of its line of air conditioners. This marked the first time the ASAS had found a company in breach of the SCAP based on greenwashing.
• In January 2025, the ASAS banned a promotional campaign by Vietnamese airline VietJet after ruling that VietJet had made unsubstantiated environmental claims. In late 2024, VietJet launched a Black Friday campaign known as “Green Friday”, in which it offered highly discounted air tickets to incentivise customers to “contribute to a greener future” by flying with VietJet. The campaign further highlighted VietJet’s “fuel-efficient” fleet and use of digital services such as e-tickets and online check-ins as evidence of its environmentally friendly credentials. Based on its investigation, ASAS concluded that the environmental benefits claimed by VietJet were applicable only to specific combinations of aircraft and engine types, which represent only part of the airline’s fleet¹.

 

Potential mitigation of greenwashing risks

To mitigate the risks of greenwashing enforcement claims, in particular by ASAS, companies operating in Singapore should ensure that their environmental claims are both clear and specific, and that such claims can be adequately substantiated with evidence. Companies should also be aware of climate-related disclosures required by SGX and ACRA, particularly with respect to new reporting requirements around GHGs.

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¹The ASAS chairman stated that “[c]onsumers could not be assured of realizing the claimed reductions in fuel consumption and emissions”, and further criticized the company’s use of vague terms such as “eco-friendly” without sufficient qualifiers.