Greenwashing is increasingly present in our society. A large number of businesses use it, whether voluntary or not. So we talk about greenwashing regularly but few people know the concrete elements that lead to it. So here is a list of the 6 main factors. To help you recognize them, but also to avoid them in your communication.

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1. Disproportionate promise

It is one of the most frequent cases. A product or service has an ecological advantage or an ecological characteristic, or even an improvement. But that doesn't make the product or service good or beneficial in essence for the planet. Because consuming it, using it or having access to it emits CO2. And the advertisement or communication fails to mention this message. And just suggests that there is an ecological interest greater than reality.

Moreover, it is also one of the most frequent causes of convictions. Typically, in Belgium, there is an article in the ecological advertising code that goes in this direction:

“Advertising may not contain any statement, indication, illustration or presentation that is likely to deceive directly or indirectly about the properties and characteristics of a product or service with respect to its effects on the environment.”

To give you a few examples.

An airline that communicates by saying that it has found an innovation that makes it possible to reduce their consumption. Making their plane de facto ecological. Certainly, it is a good thing to have developed this innovation. But flying is still very polluting. So we can't say that the plane has become ecological, no. You have to be honest. It's a disproportionate promise.

Same for an electric car. Certainly, it is better than an internal combustion car. But that doesn't make electric cars good for the planet. We can therefore say that it is better for the environment during use (than a thermal car). But not that driving with it allows you to fight against pollution (as Renault did in the image above, or to find here)

Another example is a gas station that communicates by saying that they now have a gas card made from recycled materials. Certainly this makes the card more ecological. But that doesn't make their service beneficial for the planet. On the contrary. Here we are even partly in another case, the emphasis being off topic. But we will come back to it.

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2. The use of vague words

It is also a frequent cause of condemnation by ethics and advertising ethics juries. In Belgium, recently, a FIAT ad was condemned for using the tagline “Designed for the planet” because the car is electric. Except that the use of absolute words like these is forbidden. (You can find the study of this case hither)

One of the rules is as follows:

“Absolute expressions, statements, or slogans such as, for example, 'good for the environment', implying that a product or service has no effects on the environment at any stage in its life cycle, are prohibited unless there is evidence to the contrary.”

So be careful with the use of generic and absolute words of this style, which are imprecise. Taglines like “The ecological car” or “The vacuum cleaner good for the planet” without explaining why these eco-responsible products are a source of greenwashing. More information is needed otherwise you can't judge.

Note that this dot often intersects with the first dot. Indeed, not all of these elements are mutually exclusive.

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3. Too suggestive visuals

It's pretty standard. Use visuals of forest, green, green spaces etc. to associate your brand with an ecological side. Attention, this type of visual suggests that the product or service has ecological advantages. If there are few or none, it's greenwashing.

The example of Lufthansa on this subject is striking in their video on the future of aviation (to be found here). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT-OpFjC5-A).

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4. Off-topic emphasis

This is probably the most common unintended use. Highlight commitments that the company makes (often in its CSR approach) when these have nothing to do with or are very far from what the company sells.

Typically, an airport that highlights that they have installed solar panels. Or a company that has developed a vegetable garden and hives at its workplace. Yes, it's great. But that has no place in an advertisement. Greenwashing is giving yourself an eco-responsible image that is contrary to reality. The fact of having installed solar panels when the main activity is airplanes does not make this airport committed in any way. And the same goes for having a company vegetable garden when the main activity continues to pollute.

You have to be careful about how to communicate about your various commitments. Yes, it's great to have all that in place. We are not saying the opposite, far from it. On the other hand, capitalizing on this to pass yourself off as committed is not correct.

Similarly, the example of recycled gas cards is also typical. It is such a low impact compared to the main activities that it becomes ridiculous. Yes it is good to do it. But advertising about it, no.

In this category, we can also find the highlighting of certain positive activities but which represent a fraction of the services (or products) sold by a brand. Such cases are always difficult to interpret. We can take the example of Total, which almost only advertises its green energies. On the other hand, 90% of their activities consist of extremely polluting activities. Certainly here, the activity highlighted has a direct link with the company's services (energy). But if behind it, there is no real desire to radically change its former activities, it is greenwashing. Because they want to give themselves a good image when they are not really committed. To avoid greenwashing in these types of cases, transparency and honesty are needed. And admit that yes, there are a large number of polluting activities. But that you want to change things. And that for that, you are developing renewable energies.

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5. Insufficient or non-existent information

This category mainly includes the information made available if you want to find out more in detail about the services (or products) sold and about the sustainable development approach. Generally, a link to a site is given. And on this one, it is essential to be transparent again. You must explain why your approach is eco-responsible. And not just with words, but with numbers and actions that prove your commitment.

Do you make up for it? Very good, but how much and where? And have you also implemented any impact reductions? Are you developing a new, more eco-friendly technology? Alright, but what is the expected economy? When will it be implemented? What percentage of your activities will it represent? Help consumers understand. It requires transparency, honesty, and hard work. But if you want to avoid greenwashing, it is essential.

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6. The commitments are long-term, not to mention the current situation.

It is also a point that can be done unintentionally. Inevitably, in a company, you have to set goals. And for example saying that we want to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Is that a good thing? Yes of course (although at first glance you should avoid talking about carbon neutrality at the level of a company, but that's another subject).

On the other hand, advertising by saying that your brand will be neutral in 30 years when today almost nothing is in place is greenwashing. Have commitments yes, communicate them to the general public to improve their image, no.

Or, again, be honest and transparent. Highlight your weaknesses and what you are going to put in place to improve yourself. But be vigilant because if today, nothing is done. It's clearly greenwashing. And so don't tell the general public about it via external communication.

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We hope you found this list useful. Whether as a consumer to recognize greenwashing. Or as an advertiser to avoid it. Words matter. And in a context of climate emergency, it is essential to be more than vigilant. Because it has an influence on the whole population.

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Sources:

Picture: https://www.autoplus.fr/archives-par-numero/n-1334/special-promos-ecolos/amp 

Text:

https://jep.be/fr/ 

https://www.jdp-pub.org/ 

https://antigreenwashing.ademe.fr/sites/default/files/docs/ADEME_GREENWASHING_GUIDE.pdf

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