Greenwashing, increasingly widespread and more complex
SustainAbility School #75
Greenwashing, or eco-misinformation, is a practice by which companies attempt to appear more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Emerging in the mid-1980s and officially entering dictionaries in the early 1990s, greenwashing refers to the practice of falsifying or exaggerating the green attributes of a product, service, or brand.
Unfortunately, greenwashing is increasingly widespread today and is becoming more sophisticated, generating two extremely dangerous effects: 1) consumers no longer trust company communications and label all these efforts as deceptive practices; 2) investment strategies that genuinely support the transition to a green economy are delayed or even hindered. Thus, these misleading statements create an environment conducive to capital flows being directed toward sustainability practices that are insufficiently ambitious, which delays the adoption of the necessary measures to reduce the impact of the climate crisis, especially, until it becomes too late and ineffective.
Will greenwashing based on misleading sales messages become one of the biggest scandals of the modern era? To prevent this, the phenomenon is starting to be regulated in more and more countries internationally, which means even greater risks for companies that choose this incorrect practice.
Unfortunately, greenwashing is increasingly widespread today and is becoming more sophisticated, generating two extremely dangerous effects: 1) consumers no longer trust company communications and label all these efforts as deceptive practices; 2) investment strategies that genuinely support the transition to a green economy are delayed or even hindered. Thus, these misleading statements create an environment conducive to capital flows being directed toward sustainability practices that are insufficiently ambitious, which delays the adoption of the necessary measures to reduce the impact of the climate crisis, especially, until it becomes too late and ineffective.
Will greenwashing based on misleading sales messages become one of the biggest scandals of the modern era? To prevent this, the phenomenon is starting to be regulated in more and more countries internationally, which means even greater risks for companies that choose this incorrect practice.
By attending this webinar, you will learn about:
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Definition of Greenwashing: Greenwashing is when companies present themselves as more environmentally friendly or sustainable than they genuinely are;
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Scope and Sophistication: Greenwashing is widespread and increasingly sophisticated, involving misleading practices that may not always be illegal but can exploit regulatory loopholes;
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Greencrowding: Companies group themselves with others to obscure their individual actions and avoid accountability;
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Greenlighting: Focusing on minor, environmentally friendly aspects of a business to distract from more significant environmental harm;
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Greenshifting: Shifting the responsibility for environmental damage onto consumers rather than acknowledging corporate responsibility;
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Greenlabelling: Misleadingly labeling products as green or sustainable without genuine environmental benefits;
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Greenrinsing: Frequently changing or adjusting sustainability targets before achieving them, giving an impression of progress;
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Greenhushing: Intentionally under-reporting or hiding environmental targets or achievements to avoid scrutiny from investors or the public;
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The Importance of Recognizing and Stopping Greenwashing: Greenwashing misleads consumers and stakeholders, undermining genuine sustainability efforts and reducing accountability in corporate practices;
About the guest speaker
John Willis has over 20 years of experience at the highest levels of banking and financial services, holding executive and non-executive board positions and senior leadership roles at Deutsche Bank Securities and Deutsche Asset Management.
Currently, John is the Director of Research at Planet Tracker, where he oversees the work of the research teams involved in all of the organization’s programs. He is one of the authors of The Greenwashing HYDRA report (shorturl.at/egjlw), released by Planet Tracker in January 2023.
Before joining Planet Tracker, John co-founded Sustainable Insight Capital Management (SICM), a sustainable asset management firm based in New York, where he was the portfolio manager for four sustainable equity funds with different investment universes and client constraints. He also produced a range of research products, including industry trends, portfolio management tool analysis, and the impact of sustainability considerations on risk and return.
Additionally, John currently holds pro bono education roles as Chair of the Governing Council at St. John’s School, Leatherhead; Governor at Meath School (providing teaching, therapy, and care for children aged 4-11 with speech, language, and communication difficulties); and Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee at the Chartered College of Teaching.
Currently, John is the Director of Research at Planet Tracker, where he oversees the work of the research teams involved in all of the organization’s programs. He is one of the authors of The Greenwashing HYDRA report (shorturl.at/egjlw), released by Planet Tracker in January 2023.
Before joining Planet Tracker, John co-founded Sustainable Insight Capital Management (SICM), a sustainable asset management firm based in New York, where he was the portfolio manager for four sustainable equity funds with different investment universes and client constraints. He also produced a range of research products, including industry trends, portfolio management tool analysis, and the impact of sustainability considerations on risk and return.
Additionally, John currently holds pro bono education roles as Chair of the Governing Council at St. John’s School, Leatherhead; Governor at Meath School (providing teaching, therapy, and care for children aged 4-11 with speech, language, and communication difficulties); and Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee at the Chartered College of Teaching.
Devino membru
SustainAbility School este un program de educare dedicat exclusiv angajaților din organizațiile membre ale Ambasadei Sustenabilității în România prin programul Coaliția România Sustenabilă.
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Dacă angajatorul tău nu s-a implicat încă, dar vrei să participi la edițiile viitoare și să ai acces la edițiile trecute, cere decidenților din organizația ta să devină membru.