Compliance guides · 15/05/2026 · 6 min
What evidence for your environmental claims? The evidence-vault guide
LCAs, certificates, supplier attestations, audits: hierarchy of evidence and validity periods.
The principle: prove before you claim
The burden of proof lies with the trader. A claim with no verifiable element available at the time of publication is presumed misleading.
Hierarchy of evidence
1) accredited third-party certification; 2) ISO 14040/44 life-cycle assessment with critical review; 3) independent audit report; 4) supplier attestation; 5) documented internal data. The more external and recent, the stronger.
Validity and traceability
Certificates expire; LCAs age with formulation or supplier changes. Each piece of evidence must be linked to a precise version of the claim and product.
Organising your evidence vault
Name, date and type each document; link it to the relevant claims; track expiries; keep a log of additions and removals. That is the structure of EmpCo’s evidence vault.
FAQ
Is a supplier data sheet enough?+
It is a start, but a signed and dated supplier attestation is preferable.
How long should we keep evidence?+
At least for the whole publication period plus the limitation period (5 years recommended).
Do we need evidence per language?+
No, evidence is unique; only the claim is localised.