Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist, in her famous speech “Blah, Blah, Blah…” made at COP26 conference at Glasgow in November last year spoke about how climate summits are becoming ‘greenwashing’ festivals. She attacked CO2 offset commitments by corporates as just a greenwash. We have all heard of brainwash” and whitewash”. Now what is greenwash?
When companies and organisations mislead their consumers by claiming that a product or service they provide, or that their organisation itself is environmentally friendly or sustainable, when it actually is not, it is called greenwashing. Greenwashing is not a new concept. The term was originally coined by environmental activist Jay Westerveld in the mid-1980s.
How does this happen?
From high-end cars to toilet papers, everything these days carries a label claiming that it is green or eco-friendly. But more often than not, they are half truths. Sometimes labels are vague, poorly defined, or so broad that their real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. Some products are simply labelled ‘green’ without any proof or certification by authorities concerned.
As for CO2 offset” commitments, environmentalists are of the view that offsets are a way for companies to continue polluting while funding projects to adopt climate-friendly behaviours elsewhere.
It’s a matter of concern
Why are corporations falling all over themselves to demonstrate that they are environmentally conscious? While some of the claims may be genuine, most are just marketing tools to drive profit, rather than to take environmental responsibility. In the face of climate crisis, consumers are more cautious of buying environment-friendly products. They’re also likely to spend the extra amount it takes to acquire the so-called eco-friendly goods. It is essentially exploitation as companies prioritise financial gain over being eco-conscious.
- Brainwash is to make someone believe something by repeatedly telling them that it is true.
- Whitewash is to make something bad seem acceptable by hiding the truth.
- Carbon offset refers to the measures taken by a company or organisation to reduce or remove emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases elsewhere to compensate for the emissions made by it for its business.
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