Greenwashing
It has become very fashionable to be conscious about the environment, and there may actually be money in it. Particularly for companies that can market themselves as being climate-friendly – a fact that makes some companies do greenwashing.
Green Footsteps and DanWatch focus on greenwashing with Climate World Cup, because commercial companies have a responsibility in relation to the climatic challenges the world is facing.
The seven sins of greenwashing
Sometimes the environmental equation does not come out quite right. The environment and pollution are often part of complex calculations that consider what influences the environment, how and to what extent. This allows companies to conceal the true result by omitting parts of the calculations.
This sin is committed by companies claiming to be green without giving specific and credible evidence from a third, independent party, such as a ministry of the environment.
When the companies’ green definitions are so vague and abstract that it is difficult for the consumers to assess to which extent the product is climate-friendly.
Occasionally, companies are so busy saying how green they are by using irrelevant evidence to promote their profile. For instance, you can sometimes see stickers or slogans claiming that a product is free of substances that have been illegal for years.
When companies lie about a product being climate-friendly. Companies rarely lie completely, but often parts of the production or product content are hidden behind stickers or certificates not properly authorized by the appropriate authorities. For instance, vegetables sometimes get labelled as ecological although they are not organic.
Some companies emphasise their green consciousness by claiming that the product is greener than it was previously although it is still harmful to the environment. Often this kind of greenwashing occurs when products are so damaging to the environment that even a reduction of the damaging elements does not make the product climate-friendly.
When companies provide a product with a false label to make the product seem climate-friendly. A product could for instance be described as being 'green' or 'climate-friendly', even though the product is actually harmful to the environment. The false label is supposed to give consumers the impression that a third, independent party evaluates the product as climate-friendly.
