Are you secretly greenwashing?

It’s becoming socially unacceptable to say you’re not interested in doing your bit for climate change and the planet. And that’s a good thing – social acceptability is a big part of changing our habits. The more we are in the minority, the more likely we are to change the way we do things. That’s something that’s been seen in a number of public health campaigns, such as drink driving, smoking and wearing a seat belt.

It also represents a danger for businesses in particular – saying we care, but actually doing nothing about it. That’s called greenwashing, and it’s more common – and more problematic than you might think.

Some examples to think about

There are lots of examples of greenwashing, across a number of industries. For example, in 2019, MacDonald’s announced it was replacing plastic straws with paper ones because it cared about plastic waste. It later turned out that the paper straws weren’t recyclable either – a clear case of seeming to make an effort to change without doing anything that’s actually beneficial.

Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot greenwashing: the drinks producer that slaps a flower or a leaf or a green sticker on its plastic bottles – but isn’t actually doing anything about reducing its plastic use. Or Shell, which asked its social media followers what they were willing to do to reduce emissions whilst simultaneously contributing around 2% of global emissions on its own and continuing to invest in and lobby heavily for the fossil fuel industry.

Time to do your bit?

It’s not all big business though – everyone may be a bit guilty of greenwashing. What will make you stand out is if you put your actions – and your money – where your mouth is. Instead of just saying you’re going to do things better, choose some things and get on with it. It’s easier than you think, and it enables you to point to real actions you have taken and demonstrate the positive impact you’re prepared to make.

Customers and other stakeholders will thank you for it – everyone’s getting wise to greenwashing now and you don’t want to be accused of that. Your business could see growth, with enquiries and orders coming from people who want to do business with someone who’s ethical and committed. And, to be frank, you’re going to have to do it anyway to comply with future regulations and legislation, so why not get started now?

For example, visit the Make My Money Matter website and take the 21x challenge. Simply making your pension green can have 21 times more effect than giving up meat, switching your energy supplier or cutting back on flying (although why not do all those things too?). And it’s easier than you think.

For more on the benefits of positive, genuine climate action for your business, why not contact us for a chat?

Please note: This is not meant to constitute professional advice. It is generic guidance only and things may have changed since it was written –please always seek specific & tailored advice for your circumstances.