Carom News: The UN Reveals Actionable Steps to Fight Greenwashing
The UN's expert panel calls for accountability by analyzing nonstate companies' net-zero claims.
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is a marketing tactic that organizations use to appear environmentally friendly to their audiences. This method masks or distract from the company's actual impact on the environment. This illusion allows companies to present a facade of environmentally friendly initiatives that entice people to support them. By doing this, these companies can gain support and income from target audiences that prefer to buy from sustainable brands.
The term greenwashing originated in 1986 from an environmentalist named Jay Westerveld. Companies had utilized greenwashing even before consumers received their news from digital media. Due to limited access to information, consumers were less likely to be aware of greenwashing tactics, falling victim to their methods. Consumers were even led to believe that they were supporting eco-friendly initiatives.
For example, in the 1980s, Chevron convinced the public of its environmental initiative, People Do, through print and television ads. They were so convincing that in 1990 they were awarded an Effie award. This example has been proclaimed the model example of classic greenwashing, both effective and deceiving at redirecting the attention of environmentalists and unknowing customers.
How Does Greenwashing Manifest?
It has been shown that environmental records do influence purchases that are made by consumers. Due to this, the effects of greenwashing on audiences are what make the need to combat greenwashing imperative. If greenwashing tactics are not regulated, and companies are held accountable, the environment will suffer immensely.
In a poll done in 2015, it was found that 72% of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Greenwashing benefits from people's desire to help the planet and make more sustainable choices. That is why it is necessary to reveal companies' deceptive tactics to the public, to prevent the manipulation of the public and reduce corporate environmental degradation.
The UN Takes Action against Greenwashing
In the UN's report Integrity Matters, an expert group was tasked by the United Nations Secretary-General to address net-zero pledges from nonstate actors such as corporations and regional governments. The goal of this work is to establish credibility and standards on net zero pledges in order to create recommendations for anti-greenwashing initiatives. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres directly stated, "We urgently need every business, investor, city, state, and region to walk the talk on their net zero promises. We cannot afford slow movers, fake movers, or any form of greenwashing."
Source: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES https://www.forbes.com/sites/feliciajackson/2022/11/10/integrity-matters-un-net-zero-group-sets-greenwash-and-offsets-boundaries/?sh=51072bd53739
How does the UN plan to make changes?
Here is the rundown on the UN's recommendations and requirements for entities to claim net zero:
Net zero cannot be claimed while building or investing in a new fossil fuel supply. Other disqualifiers are deforestation and other environmentally destructive activities.
Cheap credits cannot be bought. These lack integrity in comparison to cutting emissions across the value chain.
The focus cannot be on reducing the intensity of emissions versus their absolute emissions.
No lobbying can be done directly or through trade associations that undermine government climate policies. This cannot be done to undermine ambitious government climate policies directly or through trade associations or other bodies.
Advocacy, government, and business strategies must be aligned with their commitments to the current climate.
Voluntary initiatives must be moved to the regulated requirements net zero.
How to Identify Greenwashing
From the consumer side, knowing what greenwashing tactics look like can help you avoid being manipulated by companies' false portrayals.
Here are five greenwashing tactics to look out for when searching for environmentally friendly companies to support.
Watch out for fluffy language such as "sustainable" or "net-zero" without factual support.
Check-in with their “green products.” If the company is offering efficient versions of its products, but the item is made from non-ethically sourced materials, there is a disconnect between what is being advertised to what is true.
Double-check their claims! If they are claiming to solve the entirety of a sustainability problem with their product, this most likely cannot be upheld with factual data.
Don't be moved by evocative pictures, such as images that showcase a "green world."
Don't be fooled by false endorsements from sustainable non-profits and corporations on websites.
Many sustainable businesses are working to reduce their environmental footprint and create circular methods that help the earth. It is up to us to redirect our linear purchases into circular ones. By building awareness around what greenwashing is and how to identify it, we can reduce the influx of support that comes to these false companies.
How to Combat Greenwashing?
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Key Takeaways:
Greenwashing is a marketing tactic that organizations use to appear environmentally friendly to their audiences.
The term greenwashing originated in 1986 from an environmentalist named Jay Westerveld.
It has been shown that environmental records do influence purchases that are made by consumers.
Greenwashing benefits from people's desire to help the planet and make more sustainable choices. That is why it is necessary to reveal companies' deceptive tactics to the public, to prevent the manipulation of the public and reduce corporate environmental degradation.
In the UN's report Integrity Matters, an expert group was tasked by the United Nations Secretary-General to address net-zero pledges from nonstate actors such as corporations and regional governments.
The goal of this work is to establish credibility and standards on net zero pledges in order to create recommendations for anti-greenwashing initiatives.
