‘The What, Why, Where and How of Greenwashing Presented by Daragh Anglim RealEyes Sustainability ltd.

‘The What, Why, Where and How of Greenwashing

Presented by

Daragh Anglim

RealEyes Sustainability ltd

What is ‘Greenwashing?

• The deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly (wikipedia)

• Marketing strategies used by companies and advertisers to influence consumers into thinking the product and/or company is environmentally friendly

…But what is Green?

• How do we define…Green…Environmentally Friendly… Sustainable…

Retailers and Brands

• Increasingly retailers, brands and products are going ‘Green’

• Why?

• What’s driving it?

Spend on Green products

Greenwashing results 2010

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/

Reality v Perception

Reality v Perception

Greenest Brands

Consumer demand

• Why are we demanding it?

• What’s driving the market?

• Guilt? Knowledge? Awareness? Fashion? Trends? Powerlessness? Make a difference

• What are we looking for?

The role of Eco Labels

• Information on products environmental impact

• Allow us to make an educated decision

• Only source of info at point of purchase

• A tool to help us decide

How to choose?

• How do we make our choice?

• What is our criteria?– Social, Environmental, Ethical, psychological?

• What’s important? What are we looking for?

• How do we evaluate what’s on the shelf?

Giving us what we want?

• What do we want?

• What are we Really looking for?

Certification to evaluate purchase?

Green Terms?

Choices, Choices

What do they all mean?

How to Identify Greenwashing

http://www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/Greenwash_Guide.pdf

The sins of Greenwashing

Group exercise

• Where’s the Greenwash in this ad?

• Spot the Sin(s)

Just not credible?

Fluffy Language

Irrelevant claims

Green Product v Green co?

Suggestive Pictures

Gobbledygook

Best in class

Green products v dirty co

Fluffy Language

Greenwashing results 2010

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/

Greenwashing results 2010

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/

Why do brands sin?

Forgive them for they know not what they do…?

• Naivety

• Sloppiness

• Opportunity/ Demand

• Mistake

• Lying

DEFRA Guidance for Marketing

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/documents/green-claims-guidance.PDF

How should we react?

• Punish and condemn?

• Scold but encourage?

• Celebrate the small wins?

• ‘Could do better’

Communicating with brands

• How do we engage with brands to stop Greenwashing?

• Channels - regulator, social media, directly…

• Criticism or constructive criticism

• Suggestions?

The power is in our hands

… and the responsibility?

Thank you

Daragh Anglim

Daragh@realeyes.ie

www.realeyes.ie