Greenwashing

Ensure your company isn't damaging customers' trust by greenwashing – making false claims that your company or products are environmentally friendly.

Greenwashing is when a company purports to be environmentally conscious for marketing purposes but actually isn't making any notable sustainability efforts.
Companies can greenwash even when they have good intentions.
As a result of greenwashing, most American consumers do not believe company claims about their sustainability practices.

You've probably heard of whitewashing at least once in the corporate world. Whitewashing is when an organization covers up or glosses over scandalous information by presenting a biased representation of the facts. But greenwashing isn't nearly as well known. Greenwashing is when an organization spends more time and money on marketing itself as environmentally friendly than on actually minimizing its environmental impact. It's a deceitful marketing gimmick intended to mislead consumers who prefer to buy goods and services from environmentally conscious brands.

What is greenwashing?

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CREDIT: Global Witness

CURRENT NEWS

The Hill

Documents reveal how fossil fuel industry created, pushed anti-ESG campaign

By Saul Elbein 05/18/23

The recent Republican push against sustainable investing likely originated in a backroom campaign by the fossil fuel industry in states like West Virginia and Texas.

Exxon Knews

Time to toughen up the rules on greenwashing

05/05/23

The Federal Trade Commission has an opportunity to change the landscape for climate and environmental claims in corporate advertising. “Sustainable,” “green,” “low carbon,” “net zero” — claims of environmental consciousness seem to be everywhere we…

The Guardian

‘A sea of misinformation’: FTC to address industry greenwashing complaints

By Tom Perkins 05/04/23

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking aim at greenwashing by big business with an update to its “Green Guides”, which would give the agency stronger legal cases against polluters by clarifying when companies’…

Reuters

Factbox: What are the U.S. Green Guides and can they stamp out ‘greenwashing’?

By Valerie Volcovici 04/27/23

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will weigh major changes for the first time in a decade to its Green Guides, a set of standards for companies making environmental claims, as it sifts through thousands…

The Guardian

A leading private equity firm claimed to be a climate leader – while increasing emissions

By Nina Lakhani 04/27/23

The Carlyle Group’s 2011-22 greenhouse gas footprint was roughly equivalent to Alaska’s ‘carbon bomb’ Willow drilling projectA leading private equity firm that claims to be an industry climate leader in fact almost doubled its average…

The Washington Post

Former House Oversight chairwoman breaks silence on Big Oil probe

By Maxine Joselow 03/08/23

Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202! Happy International Women’s Day and happy hump day. Today we’re reading about why airlines want to charge you for flying on french-fry oil. 🍟

The Atlantic

The world is finally cracking down on ‘greenwashing’

By Emma Marris 03/01/23

Let’s say you want to buy a T-shirt and you want your investment to be as environmentally sustainable as possible—after all, clothing production generates 8 to 10 percent of global carbon emissions. How should you…

Exxon Knews

Exxon drops its algae ruse

By Emily Sanders 02/13/23

Fat on record profits, Exxon is abandoning a notorious effort to convince the public it was working on climate solutions.

The Washington Post

Complaint requesting an investigation into apparent greenwashing by Shell plc

02/02/23

Global Witness writes to share its concern that Shell plc (“Shell”) has filed potentially misleading

The Guardian

Google let Daily Wire advertise on ‘climate change is a hoax’ searches

By Geoff Dembicki 01/27/23

Exclusive: Data shared by Center for Countering Digital Hate shows Ben Shapiro’s site bought ads on climate crisis denial search terms

Exxon Knews

Big Oil’s false advertising is not free speech

By Emily Sanders 01/24/23

“Big Oil peddled the big lie,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said last week following the release of a new study showing Exxon’s acute scientific understanding of climate change preceded its public denial. Facing ever-mounting…

The Washington Post

How dark money groups led Ohio to redefine gas as ‘green energy’

By Maxine Joselow 01/17/23

Conservative groups helped Ohio lawmakers push the narrative that the fuel is clean, documents show. They are taking their campaign to other states.

MORE NEWS

Axios

Exxon’s climate research accurately projected global warming

By Andrew Freedman 01/12/23

Exxon scientists have been at the forefront of climate change research using computer models, the study published in the journal Science shows. According to the study, between 63% and 83% of the climate projections reported…

The New York Times

The new soldiers in propane’s fight against climate action: television stars

By Hiroko Tabuchi 01/11/23

An industry group is spending millions of dollars to push back against efforts to move heating away from oil and gas....

The Guardian

Big oil is behind conspiracy to deceive public

By Nina Lakhani 12/20/22

Lawyer in a civil lawsuit launched by towns in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico describes why it is using laws used to target mob bossesThe same racketeering legislation used to bring down mob bosses, motorcycle gangs, football…

The New York Times

Opinion: “I was really struck by the lack of introspection”

By David Wallace-Wells 12/15/22

Last week, a House investigation into Big Oil profiteering and greenwashing released its latest report — the result of more than a year of research, subpoenas and hearings. Among other things, the latest report makes…

Mongabay

Whistleblower: Enviva claim of ‘being good for the planet… all nonsense’

By Justin Catanoso 12/05/22

The operator of a Tigercat tractor used its claw-like arm to skillfully scoop up what just days before had been a sizable old oak, as the clear-cut of a thickly wooded 52-acre (21-hectare) site in…

The Boston Globe

Study touting hydrogen — a technology favored by gas firms — was funded by gas interests, e-mails show

By Shabrina Shankman 11/17/22

A study by researchers at UMass Lowell on hydrogen's potential seemed innocuous enough. But hundreds of pages of e-mail correspondence now ...

Sourcing Journal

H&M Hit With Second Greenwashing Lawsuit

By Alexandra Harrell 11/11/22

The Swedish fast-fashion giant canceled its “Conscious Choice” collection in September after a 12-year run following a reprimand from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets for employing vague and unsubstantiated terms that could mislead…

Treehugger

United Nations Urges Companies to Stop Greenwashing

By Eduardo Garcia 11/10/22

The United Nations this week launched a highly-anticipated report urging companies to stop issuing bogus net-zero targets that amount to greenwashing.

The Washington Post

A Checklist to Tell If Your Portfolio Is Guilty of Greenwashing

By Jacqueline Poh 11/10/22

The boom in so-called ESG investing has been accompanied by a sharp rise in complaints about greenwashing -- exaggerations or misleading statements about environmental claims. It’s a rise driven by the so-called “greenium” -- the…

The Guardian

UN experts demand crackdown on greenwashing of net zero pledges

By Adam Morton 11/08/22

A UN group set up to crack down on the greenwashing of net zero pledges by industry and government has called for “red lines” to stop support for new fossil fuel exploration and overuse of…

Axios

UN panel lays out red lines against greenwashing

By Andrew Freedman 11/08/22

A UN panel rolled out a host of guidelines that would define credible net zero emissions targets and set out checklists for companies and cities to meet. The big picture: The report, which was delivered…

Public Accountability

Fueling Obstruction

By Rob Galbraith and Others 11/02/22

Clarification: The original map of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy in this report listed Consolidated Edison as a member of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy. We’ve changed the map to clarify that while Consolidated Edison…

Climate Home News

Corporate pushback against climate action is getting desperate

By Thomas Hale 09/28/22

As net zero commitments reshape the world economy, and as the impacts of climate change accelerate, climate politics is getting existential. Vulnerable communities are fighting to survive. This month, one-third of Pakistan, a country of…

Drilledpodcast

Three Congressional Hearings on Climate Disinfo Bring New Industry Documents to Light

09/17/22

PR firms are paid to engage in unethical tactics that intimidate and silence Americans who are exercising their rights to support actions that combat climate change wealthy and powerful corporate entities are dragging citizens and…

The Hill

Internal documents cast doubt on Big Oil climate promises

By Rachel Frazin 09/15/22

Internal documents from major oil companies released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee appear to cast doubt on their supposed climate and green energy commitments

Treehugger

Yvon Chouinard Just Gave Patagonia Away to Help the Environment

By Katherene Martinko 09/15/22

Yvon Chouinard no longer owns Patagonia. Nearly 50 years after founding the enormously successful apparel company, now worth around $3 billion, the 83-year-old came up with an unusual solution to ensure that it continues in…

The New York Times

Oil Executives Privately Contradicted Public Statements on Climate, Files Show

By Hiroko Tabuchi 09/14/22

The documents, subpoenaed in a House investigation of climate disinformation, show company leaders contravening industry commitments....

inside climate news

Exxon The Road Not Taken

09/13/22

This nine-part history of Exxon’s engagement with the emerging science of climate change is the result of an eight months-long investigation conducted in 2015. The stories span four decades, and are based on primary sources,…

dailykos

If there’s one problem with ‘ExxonKnew’, it’s that it was too effective. Utilities knew, too!

09/12/22

Ever since the award-winning 2015 series from Inside Climate News, the "ExxonKnew" campaign(s) to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the disinformation and propaganda they spread as part of the industrial playbook to prevent regulation…

The Grist

Oil companies say they’re going green, but their investments tell another story

By Kate Yoder 09/09/22

Well over half of Big Oil’s advertisements promote the message that they have embraced clean energy and emissions reductions, and other such “green claims,” according to a new report from InfluenceMap, a think tank based…

CNN

Big oil companies are spending millions to appear ‘green.’ Their investments tell a different story, report shows

By Lauren Kent 09/08/22

Big oil companies are spending millions to portray themselves as taking action on climate change, but their investments and lobbying activities don’t live up to their planet-friendly claims, according to a new report.

Gizmodo

Oil Companies Want You to Buy Their New ‘Green’ Image

By Lauren Leffer 09/08/22

Five of the world’s biggest fossil fuel giants aren’t putting their money where their mouths are. Shell, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies are all spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to look better…

The Atlantic

It Wasn’t Just Oil Companies Spreading Climate Denial

By Robinson Meyer 09/07/22

The electricity industry knew about the dangers of climate change 40 years ago. It denied them anyway. “If we had to stop producing CO₂, no coal, oil, or gas could be burned,” Carroll Wilson declared.…

IOPSCIENCE

The American electric utility industry’s role in promoting climate denial, doubt, and delay

By Emily L Williams, Sydney A Bartone and Others 09/01/22

For decades, oil and gas companies have misled the public on climate science. Despite conducting their own research that showed climate change was real, these companies publicly sowed doubt about its existence and human cause…

Daily Kos

Eric Worrall at WUWT asks the Dumbest Question Ever About WSJ’s Climate (Opinion) Coverage

By Climate Denier Round up 08/24/22

It's never fun to have to issue a correction, but a few weeks ago we said that the only non-disinfo outlet to take notice of Anthony Watts' Heartland-funded attempt to cast doubt on thermometer readings…

Scientific American

Subverting climate science in the classroom

By Katie Worth 06/28/22

Oil and gas representatives influence the standards for courses and textbooks, from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Los Angeles Times

Is a Michigan energy firm using dark money to influence California’s climate plans?

By Sammy Roth 06/23/22

For all of California’s groundbreaking climate policies — the 100% clean energy mandate, the goal of ending gasoline-vehicle sales by 2035 — there’s still a lot of uncertainty over how the Golden State will zero…

Utility Dive

Gensler sees limit to SEC rule on carbon emissions disclosure

By Jim Tyson 06/15/22

The Securities and Exchange Commission will not require all publicly traded companies to disclose the carbon emissions from their vendors, suppliers and other third parties across their supply chains, but will limit the mandate to…

The Washington Post

Why an energy crisis and $5 gas aren’t spurring a green revolution

By Evan Halper 06/14/22

As high prices move consumers to rethink their attachment to oil and gas, America is struggling to meet the moment.

The Washington Post

House Democrats probe PR industry’s role in advertising for Big Oil

By Maxine Joselow and Others 06/13/22

Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202! Today we're worried about a shortage of Sriracha because of extreme droughts in Mexico, where the hot-sauce company sources its chile peppers. One could say it's a…

Forbes

Forbes Global 2000 Firms Judged ‘Alarmingly Weak’ On Climate Plans

By David Vetter 06/13/22

Just a third of firms on the Forbes Global 2000 list of publicly traded companies have net zero emissions targets, and almost two thirds of those pledges fall far short on necessary detail, leaving major…

The New York Times

How Fashion Giants Recast Plastic as Good for the Planet

By Hiroko Tabuchi 06/12/22

An explosion in the use of inexpensive, petroleum-based materials has transformed the fashion industry, aided by the successful rebranding of synthetic materials like plastic leather (once less flatteringly referred to as “pleather”) into hip alternatives…

Axios

Top Biden aide prods big tech to crack down on climate misinformation

By Ben Geman 06/09/22

Gina McCarthy, President Biden's top domestic climate adviser, said tech companies should do more to prevent the spread of inaccurate information about climate change and clean energy.

Common Dreams

‘Deny, Deceive, Delay’: How ‘Evolving’ Disinformation Tactics Stymie Climate Action

By Jessica Corbett 06/09/22

Pushing for policies requiring Big Tech "to be transparent and accountable about the harms their products create," one campaigner said that "we should not continue this endless game of climate denial whack-a-mole."

The Verge

New research points to bad math behind corporate renewable energy claims

By Justine Calma 06/09/22

The problem stems from companies’ reliance on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to back up their green claims. A company receives a REC by paying to support renewable energy projects around the world. When brands say…

The Washington Post

Oil and gas companies underreported methane leaks, new study shows

By Steven Mufson 06/08/22

Big oil and gas companies have internal data showing that their methane emissions in the vast Permian Basin “are likely significantly higher than official data” reported to the Environmental Protection Agency, says a new report…

The New York Times

How a Republican effort punishes companies for climate action

By David Gelles and Hiroko Tabuchi 05/27/22

Legislators and their allies are running an aggressive campaign that uses public money and the law to pressure businesses they say are pushing “woke” causes.

Reuters

U.S. SEC unveils rules to ensure ESG funds follow through on investments

By Katanga Johnson & Ross Kerber 05/26/22

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday proposed a pair of rule changes aimed at stamping out unfounded claims by funds on their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials, and enforcing more…

CNN

Big Oil, flush with cash, is failing on climate pledges

By Allison Morrow 05/25/22

In the peak of 2020 lockdowns, giant oil companies had a wake-up call. Demand had cratered, sapping profits, and it wasn't clear when it would end. That gave environmentally minded investors an in. The pitch:…

The Intercept

Big Fossil’s disaster capitalist response to Russia-Ukraine

By Amy Westervelt 05/25/22

The industry moved quickly to capture the narrative, going from disinformation blitz to policy wins within a matter of weeks.

The New York Times

A feud over fossil fuel money

By Manuela Andreoni 05/24/22

At Stanford University, the question is ringing loud. This month, hundreds of students, faculty members and alumni, in an open letter, called on the university’s new climate school to decline funding from fossil fuel companies.

New Climate

Headline pledges are often ambiguous and emission reduction commitments are limited

Thomas Day & Others 05/23/22

Companies around the world are increasing alert to the climate emergency. They face calls from a growing range of stakeholders

The Guardian

HSBC suspends head of responsible investing who called climate warnings ‘shrill’

By Kalyeena Makortoff 05/22/22

HSBC has suspended a senior banker after he referred to climate crisis warnings as “unsubstantiated” and “shrill” during a conference speech that has since been denounced by the lender’s chief executive. Stuart Kirk, who has…

The New York Times

Climate Forward

By Manuela Andreoni 05/20/22

First, let’s talk about greenwashing — a blanket term to describe false or unproven claims in a company’s environmental records. It’s a big problem. The New Climate Institute, a research organization based in Germany, recently…

The New York Times

Why do we swallow what big oil and the green movement tell us?

By Thomas L. Friedman 05/17/22

It has long been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. By that definition, we’re the ones detached from reality if we…

The New York Times

Oil Giants Sell Dirty Wells to Buyers With Looser Climate Goals, Study Finds

By Hiroku Tabuchi 05/10/22

When Royal Dutch Shell sold off its stake in the Umuechem oil field in Nigeria last year, it was, on paper, a step forward for the company’s climate ambitions: Shell could clean up its holdings,…

The Washington Post

Brazil is gaslighting its way to a climate misinformation catastrophe

By Robert Muggah and Mac Margolis 05/09/22

Brazilians know all about fake news. Digital hucksters have attacked the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting system, baselessly accused adversaries of “teaching” homosexuality in the classroom and promoted faith-based covid-19 treatments, all with a nod…

The Guardian

Climate sceptic thinktank received funding from fossil fuel interests

By Helena Horton and Adam Bychawski 05/04/22

An influential thinktank that has led the backlash against the government’s net zero policy has received funding from groups with oil and gas interests, according to tax documents seen by the Guardian and OpenDemocracy.

Resilence

‘Existential Threat’: Indigenous Leaders Urge Citigroup to Stop Backing Amazon Oil

By Rachel Sherrington 04/28/22

Indigenous leaders have called on Citigroup to stop financing oil and gas projects in the Amazon, saying the bank’s activities contradict its climate pledges by putting the threatened ecosystem at greater risk.

Climate Disinfo Chart

In the dark: how social media companies’ climate disinformation problem is hidden from the public

04/25/22

For decades, the fossil fuel industry has poured millions of dollars into spreading climate disinformation 1 online and offline to drive public polarization and stall action on the climate crisis. That’s why the latest UN…

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