Guide against greenwashing
[Music]
companies worldwide
need a guide against greenwashing
greenwashing is a form of misleading
marketing where
a product service or company is
presented as
better in respect to climate change
the environment or human rights issues
without
proper documentation to back this claim
simply put
green washers talk loudly about the
importance of sustainability
without making an actual effort whereas
responsible companies work hard to
create
shared values for both themselves and
society
as a whole and this seems kind of
straightforward
but in a lot of cases it’s not
a lot of companies end up greenwashing
without intending it
they just want to talk about a product
they believe to be a part of the climate
solution
without having the knowledge to fully
assess
the impacts of this products and while
this might sound kind of harmless it can
actually be quite devastating to our
common cause
of averting the climate crisis by
creating apathy and distrusts
among the individuals that we need to
fight for a better future
so what can be done about greenwashing
shift business climate leaders got
challenged by
activists here in norway to create a
guide
for businesses to help them avoid this
kind of marketing
the result is 10 principles that over
200 norwegian businesses have signed so
far
claiming that they will do their utmost
to uphold them
now we want to take the guide against
screen washing
to the global stage so
let’s get going i’m just going to walk
you through the guides
number one be honest and accountable
avoid
using words like green or eco and fair
without both explaining and documenting
what your company have done or will do
to make sure that the statement can be
verified
also you should be very careful with
using results
from reports out of contexts to better
suit your own
marketing needs number two make sure
that your company’s sustainability
efforts
are not limited to your communication
and marketing departments
companies who continue with business as
usual
but apply a marketing strategy focusing
on sustainability
will end up greenwashing in almost every
case
number three you should avoid talking
about the importance of
sustainability or ethical trade
if your company themselves have not made
serious efforts on these issues
of course it’s nice to raise the pride
flag
the international women’s day or share
black lives matter but if this is the
full extent
of your company’s commitment to change
then
it will appear as quite hollow
number four do not under communicate
your company’s own
emission and negative impacts it’s
better
to be honest about being a part of the
problem
and focusing on how your company can get
better
most people cheer for those who do their
best
number five be careful using a big
amount of your marketing budget
on relatively small measures that does
not affect your
company’s footprints significantly if
your marketing
is focused on the five percent of your
product line
which is labeled as sustainable
whereas the remaining 95 percent causes
harm to
the climate or the environment or the
people producing
the goods you should have quite concrete
plans
of how to change that ratio drastically
number six
avoid buying a clean conscience through
climate quotas
companies who take sustainability
seriously
start by working on their own footprints
number seven use established labeling or
work towards the establishment of good
labeling mechanisms within your industry
if it is lacking today established
labeling helps
both consumers and companies to make
informed choices
labeling that might wrongly give the
impression of a third party
certification
is of course not advised
number eight be careful using terms such
as
better for the environment almost all
products and services that are provided
in today’s economy
have some sort of negative impact on our
biosphere
number nine cherry picking from the un’s
sustainable development goals
can lead you astray the goals that are
most important to your company
are the goals that have the closest link
to your company’s core activities
if your production line emits massive
amounts of co2
or cause human rights violations in
another country
you should avoid marketing your efforts
for equality
in your home country
number 10 donations and sponsorships
are great but they’re not a proof that
your
company is working on sustainability
issues
if listing donations to respected
organization
on your webpage is your company’s way of
trying to tell the world that you are
working on sustainability issues
it’s not going to cut it it’s your
company
your product and your services that have
to change so
we hope that this guide can be a tool
for businesses to
responsibly market our goods and
services
while we all work our way towards the un
sustainable
development goals a truly sustainable
economy is going to be a massive
undertaking that will require an
immense amount of effort from all of us
but a better future and a sustainable
society for the generations to come
has potential endless value
so we have to do business with this in
mind
and stop greenwashing