The definition of greenwashing: Behavior or activities that make people believe that a company or government or organization is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.
And it happens. A lot.
Because who doesn’t want others to believe they’re saving the environment?
Especially those who are destroying it the fastest and making the most profit.
Let’s talk about Big Oil. And by Big Oil, I mean Exxon, Shell, BP. An Exxon executive was caught on tape giving away the whole playbook:
“Say one thing in public, do another in private.”
“Carbon tax is never going to happen in America.” (Which is why they can say they support it.) So here’s actually a fun YouTube video that encapsulates the whole Exxon debacle. And once you see it, you’ll understand the whooooooole Big Oil industry. Caution: some colorful language.
So another fun resource is Eco-bot.net
They are literally monitoring every greenwashing ad that is occurring on social media during COP26. As of this writing, they are up to 3,234 ads playing or running *during* COP26.
Be sure to check out their website as they are on their game, and offer explanations for why the ads are misinformation, as well as the number of impressions.
On the positive side, one of the outcomes of COP26 was the creation of an International Sustainability Standards Board. (ISSB) This board, located in Frankfurt, will develop “baseline” global standards that companies could use to tell investors about the impact of climate change on their business. It would prevent companies from telling flattering stories, while still pushing damaging practices.
Now that everyone is talking about climate, we are wading hip-deep into the obfuscation stage: frightening people into believing we won’t have enough power or energy without coal and natural gas, putting blame on consumers (when big companies cause most of our green house gases), and offering silliness like carbon offsets. In case you haven’t heard of these, it means you should be allowed to fly on an airplane and not feel guilty because you also purchase 10 trees to be planted. It’s ridiculous, doesn’t get at any of the major problems, and allows people to continue with their same behavior.
The way to combat greenwashing is to understand it. It will be flung at us from very savvy PR firms and experts at manipulating human behavior.
The truth is that nothing is going to easily come along and save us, if we don’t stop using fossil fuels, if we don’t learn to conserve the Earth, and if we don’t start behaving as if our lives depend on the resources and stability of the natural ecosystem on this planet.
All else is greenwashing. I promise.