Greenwashing 2023: Recognising Sophisticated Tactics

You probably know what greenwashing is — when companies make misleading claims about their environmental friendliness . From greenshifting to greenhushing, the non-profit think tank Planet Tracker has identified six insidious forms of greenwashing.

1. Greencrowding

Greencrowding means hiding within a group. Planet Tracker cites the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) as an example. Eight of the 20 largest producers of single-use plastic waste are members. Globally, only around nine percent of plastics are successfully recycled.

2. Greenlighting

A company highlights a particularly eco-friendly feature in order to distract from environmentally harmful activities elsewhere. Example: Zero-emission vehicles accounted for only 0.2 percent of Toyota’s total sales in 2021.

3. Greenshifting

Greenshifting means placing the blame on the consumer. Example: BP introduced a carbon calculator while 96% of its expenditure went towards oil and gas.

4. Greenlabelling

Products are marketed with green packaging or misleading wording. An advertisement for Persil was banned because the brand could not substantiate its environmental claims.

5. Greenrinsing

Companies regularly change their ESG targets before they are reached. Coca-Cola reduced its target for recycled packaging material from 50% to 25%.

6. Greenhushing

Companies deliberately under-report their environmental performance in order to avoid scrutiny. Blackrock and HSBC have been criticised for this.

How to protect yourself

Trustworthy eco-labels such as FairTrade, the Global Organic Textile Standard and the EU Ecolabel may only be used for products that are demonstrably climate-friendly. Shopping locally also reduces the risk of falling for greenwashing, writes euronews.com. More on the topic of Climate Change.

You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose compassion on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan.