Guide against greenwashing | Mathias Juell Johnsen | TEDxSkift

Summary

The video highlights the growing problem of greenwashing, where companies falsely claim environmental benefits without sufficient evidence. It introduces a guide created by climate leaders in Norway, featuring 10 principles to help businesses avoid misleading marketing. These include being honest, avoiding token efforts, and ensuring real impact rather than superficial gestures. The video emphasizes that addressing sustainability is a significant challenge requiring genuine commitment. Businesses must shift from hollow claims to meaningful actions that contribute to a sustainable future and build trust with consumers.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Greenwashing is when companies falsely claim to be environmentally friendly without proper documentation.
• 📝 Companies should be honest and avoid using vague terms like 'green' or 'eco' without supporting evidence.
• 🌱 Sustainability should not just be a marketing strategy but a core part of a company's operations.
• ❌ Avoid promoting sustainability if your company has not made serious efforts in this area.
• 📊 Be transparent about your company's negative environmental impacts and focus on improving them.
• 💡 Don't spend large marketing budgets on small sustainability efforts that don't significantly impact your overall footprint.
• 🚫 Avoid relying on carbon offset quotas; prioritize reducing your own carbon footprint first.
• 🔖 Use established labeling mechanisms to help consumers make informed choices, and avoid misleading certifications.
• ⚖️ Focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals most relevant to your company's core activities, rather than cherry-picking.
• 🎁 Donations and sponsorships don't equate to sustainability efforts; real change must come from improving products and services.

Q & A

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is a misleading marketing practice where a product, service, or company is presented as more environmentally friendly, ethical, or sustainable than it actually is, often without proper documentation to back these claims.

Why is greenwashing harmful?

Greenwashing creates apathy and distrust among individuals and stakeholders, undermining collective efforts to fight the climate crisis by misleading people into believing more progress is being made than is true.

How do companies unintentionally engage in greenwashing?

Some companies unintentionally greenwash by promoting products or services they believe are part of the climate solution without fully understanding or assessing the true environmental impacts.

What is the purpose of the guide against greenwashing created by Shift Business Climate Leaders?

The guide aims to help businesses avoid greenwashing by following 10 principles that promote honesty, transparency, and accountability in sustainability claims and marketing.

What is the first principle of the guide against greenwashing?

The first principle is to be honest and accountable, avoiding vague terms like 'green' or 'eco' without providing documentation to verify these claims. Companies should avoid using reports out of context for marketing purposes.

Why should sustainability efforts go beyond the marketing department?

If a company's sustainability efforts are limited to marketing while continuing business as usual, it risks greenwashing. True sustainability requires integrated efforts across the entire company.

What is advised regarding a company's negative impacts and emissions?

Companies should not under-communicate their negative impacts or emissions. It’s better to be transparent about challenges and focus on how to improve, as this builds trust with consumers.

Why is focusing marketing on small sustainable measures risky?

Focusing marketing on a small percentage of sustainable products while the majority of the company's offerings remain harmful can lead to accusations of greenwashing unless there are concrete plans to change the ratio significantly.

What role do established labeling systems play in avoiding greenwashing?

Established labeling helps both consumers and companies make informed choices by providing third-party verification of sustainability claims. Companies should work toward recognized labeling mechanisms if they don’t already exist in their industry.

Why are donations and sponsorships not sufficient proof of sustainability efforts?

While donations and sponsorships can be positive, they don’t prove that a company is making meaningful progress on sustainability. Real change must come from transforming the company's products, services, and business practices.