Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein will stop prominently referencing its 2050 net-zero target on its German apps and websites following greenwashing allegations and legal action.
Environmental campaign group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) filed a legal challenge in December against Shein’s platform operator, Infinite Styles Services Co, arguing that the company’s net-zero claims breached consumer protection laws because they lacked sufficient explanation.
Shein set its 2050 net-zero target in early 2025 in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard, which requires companies to cut absolute emissions by 90% across Scope 1, 2 and 3 against a chosen baseline year, in Shein’s case 2023.
However, Shein’s disclosures show that its total emissions across all scopes rose 23% year-on-year in 2024, reaching 26 million metric tonnes of CO₂e — nearly double the emissions reported by Inditex, the parent company of Zara.
DUH argued that consumers could interpret the net-zero statement as evidence that Shein’s environmental impact was already declining. The group said Shein had submitted a legally binding cease-and-desist declaration, which carries financial penalties for future breaches, opting for this route rather than contesting the case in court.
In addition to the net-zero claims, DUH has initiated further legal action over product descriptions such as “environmentally friendly” and “100% natural”, with proceedings ongoing.
Shein appointed its first global head of sustainability last year, hiring Mustan Lalani, formerly of packaging group Tetra Pak.
