Evian maker Danone defeats lawsuit over ‘carbon neutral' claim: ‘Technically true'

Core Viewpoint - Danone successfully dismissed a lawsuit regarding its "carbon neutral" claim on Evian bottles, with a judge reversing a previous ruling that allowed the class action to proceed [1][2]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings - US District Judge Nelson Roman initially ruled that the term "carbon neutral" was ambiguous and that consumers might struggle to understand the labeling [2]. - After reconsideration, the judge concluded that reasonable consumers would check the back label for more information, which included a link to Evian's website explaining the carbon neutral claim [3][4]. - The judge stated that Danone's representations were technically true and that relevant disclosures were made available to consumers [5]. Group 2: Consumer Allegations - Consumers accused Danone of defrauding them by implying that Evian was environmentally friendly due to its "carbon neutral" label, while its manufacturing process still released carbon dioxide [1][5]. - The plaintiffs, who paid premium prices for Evian, equated "carbon neutral" with being environmentally friendly [5]. Group 3: Related Legal Context - This ruling followed a separate case where a Chicago federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Danone for claiming Evian is "natural" despite containing microplastics [6]. - Danone's product portfolio includes other brands such as Dannon, Oikos, and Activia yogurt, with its headquarters located in Paris and North American operations in White Plains [6].