Greenwashing: bad for the planet, worse for your business

What is greenwashing?

Is greenwashing the same as pinkwashing? Yes and no. What both phenomena have in common is a desire by the enterprises that engage in it to use social commitment for clout, rather than out of genuine concern for the issues at hand. Both, in short, involve some level of “CSR cheating”. They differ not only in the issues that they pretend to tackle, but also in the level of what may arguably be called “pretence”. Companies (or, in some cases, governments) accused of pinkwashing use support for the LGBTQ cause to distract the general public from other forms of inequality of abuse in which they are engaging (such as violations of workers rights or human rights in general). In most cases, however, their pro-LGBTQ initiatives actually do what it says on the tin: the donations are mostly genuine, the hiring policies or anti-discrimination rules mostly real, and the diversity quotas largely respected. They are simply inconsistent when it comes to other aspects of CSR. Greenwashing, on the other hand, often involves companies touting their “green” policies or initiatives during marketing campaigns, or claiming to host sustainable events but not actually implementing any of them or doing it to a lesser extent than the public is being led to believe.

Call us to plan your next sustainable event!

How to recognise greenwashing

Greenwashing counts on audiences being fundamentally lazy. A good way of weeding out unauthentic claims by purported “green” companies is looking for data to back them up. Ideally, environmentally-friendly policies should be confirmed by reliable and neutral third parties and official certifications, awarded by impartial organisations, should be provided by any business claiming to be sustainable or to have invested in sustainability. Anyone can use terms like “green”, “eco” or “sustainable”, but not everyone can add official and internationally acknowledged certifications to their products (such as “Fair Trade”). Generally speaking, the more a brand is open about its whole production line, raw materials origin and energy policies, and the easier it makes to verify its claims, the likelier it is to be a genuine “green” brand, rather than a greenwashing one.

What companies stand to lose

Credibility is a major asset in any market. Brands that are blatantly outed as engaging in greenwashing risk losing it among a significant share of their existing and potential customer base. Moreover, if they are found to have misled the public with their communication, they may incur in severe fines, depending on the scale of the violation and the Country they are based in.

Would you like your events to be sustainable? Call us today!