greenwashing:a marketing tactic filled with lies

Earlier this year, a research study showed evidence that oil giants, including Chevron, Exxon

Mobil, Shell, and BP, were guilty of falsifying climate action. The study indicated that companies

were more likely to use terms such as “low-carbon,” “climate,” and “transition” more

frequently in their recent reports without actually making any progress toward climate goals.

Then, this past month, the Massachusetts attorney general successfully defended a plea by oil

giant Exxon Mobil to have a case thrown out, claiming the oil company has committed the

crime of perpetuating climate misinformation.

The two events were massive wins for environmentalists nationwide, as climate activists have

long claimed that big oil is at the heart of climate denial and inaction.

Interestingly, the two events revolve around a single term, which has grown in popularity in the

last few years and is now a weapon for environmentalists worldwide. The term is

“greenwashing,” an overarching word that refers to companies' marketing efforts that allow

them to look more environmentally friendly than their programs would offer.

Still, what exactly is “greenwashing”? What does it mean? And why is it now at the forefront of

the climate communities’ campaign against big corporate polluters?

Well, let’s break it down.

What is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing refers to a marketing technique utilized by companies and organizations to

market themselves as environmentally friendly. According to Investopedia, greenwashing is

“the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a

company’s products are more environmentally sound” or “an unsubstantiated claim to deceive

consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly.”

The term is often used to describe companies that work in notoriously polluting industries,

including oil, meat production, or plastic manufacturing.

Oil companies have been at the forefront of greenwashing claims in recent years. Last year,

several U.S cities filed lawsuits against oil companies, claiming that the polluters must be held

accountable for climate change due to greenhouse emissions of the industry and corporate

efforts to silence the climate community. The lawsuits started with the city of Baltimore, which

argued that big oil companies weren’t paying for the consequences of their actions and should

be held responsible. Several other cities followed suit, including Oakland, New York, and

Honolulu.

In general, environmentalists have used the term against various companies, from Nestle to the

New York Times. Activists have continued to use greenwashing to sway public opinion and

outing companies that lie about their environmental footprint.

The term is a modification of the term “whitewashing,” which means using misinformation to

look over bad behavior.

How Does it Work?

Greenwashing can range in the extent of its usage by companies and organizations. However,

for a long time, the marketing tactic was used by various industries to appear greener and more

environmentally friendly.

The use of greenwashing works through a marketing technique known as “green sheen,” which

acts as a layer of advertising overlayed on the brand’s messaging, making the company appear

more environmentally minded to consumers.

This “green sheen” can come in many forms. Sometimes, direct marketing techniques claim the

company is taking on environmental action while making no attempts or progress in pursuing

environmentally sustainable programs. This method is often the case for the oil industry, which

claims their company is pursuing programs to reduce carbon emissions, offset environmental

costs, and tackle climate change. In reality, oil companies have continued to perpetuate the use

of fossil fuels and have often failed to lessen their impacts on the environment.

Other forms of greenwashing are not so simple. In many cases, greenwashing techniques can

be subtle marketing mechanisms that give the company a “greener” or “nature-friendly”

appearance.

This method is common in the food product industry. Throughout the last few decades,

companies have often utilized green packaging to entice consumers to view their products as

environmentally friendly. Companies have also exploited animals, images of nature, or nature-

oriented brand messaging to drive an idea that their company is ecologically friendly.

Another option in this industry is using terms like “environmentally friendly” or “natural” to

project a greener product. Unfortunately, many of these terms are unregulated and misleading

to consumers. The most common examples of these types of brand messaging are the “grass-

fed” or “free-range” marketing techniques. Companies employ these tactics to create an image

of animal-safe products to deter claims of animal abuse in the agriculture industry.

Important note – some designations are regulated in the food industry, including “organic”

labels. In addition, some food products are certified by an outside source, such as “Dolphin-Safe

Tuna” by the Earth Island Institute, which can be truthful depending on the requirements of the

certifying party.

Some Famous Examples of Greenwashing

There are millions of examples of greenwashing committed by corporations and businesses, but

some of the more prominent examples have occurred within campaigns led by the world’s

largest companies.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is perhaps one of the greatest examples of greenwashing in the world. The soft drink

and beverage giant is continually ranked as one of the biggest plastic polluters on the planet. In

recent years, the brand has come under fire for doubling down on its commitments toward

plastic bottles while claiming its environmental prowess through ad campaigns and pollutant-

absorbing billboards. Although the company claims to be working on these programs that

minimize plastic pollution, it was still ranked #1 in the world for plastic pollution in 2021.

The company’s greenwashing tactics go well beyond empty promises and commitments. Coca-

Cola’s brand messaging has often been accompanied by images that elicit feelings of

environmentally friendly products. Most famously, the Coca-Cola polar bear.

Now, this is an interesting example because the Coca-Cola polar bear has brought forward

some good things for the species. Still, overall, the use of the poster animal for climate change

has given the beverage giant a false perception of green-mindedness and wildlife conservation.

BP

Oh, BP, you knew we couldn’t leave you off this list. The oil and petroleum giant has been the

subject of many greenwashing claims over the years, including a 2020 legal complaint that

claimed the company was running misleading ads on climate change.

Still, perhaps the most famous example of greenwashing is the company’s effort to change its

name to “Beyond Petroleum” in 2003. Originally named British Petroleum, the company

changed its name in a federal court of law to portray an image of transition to renewable

energies.

Since the name change, BP has caused two of the largest oil spills in global history, and nearly

20 years later, the oil giant is still considered one of the world’s worst polluters and most

significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Nestlé

Nestlé is one of the most famous food companies in the world. Nestlé is the parent company for

brands that include Nescafe, KitKat, Aero, and Perrier. The consumer product organization has

been the subject of endless controversy, including several greenwashing campaigns.

These campaigns also revolve around plastic pollution, which Nestlé claims their company will

be “100% plastic-free by 2025”. The problem is that many reports indicate that Nestlé is

burning plastic to reach this goal or utilizing landfill excavation to achieve “plastic neutrality.”

This burning or repurposing of plastic products releases greenhouse gas emissions and harmful

emissions toxins into the air. Most of this is done in developing nations.

In addition, Nestlé has often been scrutinized for their palm oil practices that have led to

deforestation in Southeast Asia and Indonesia. In 2020, the company launched a “zero-

deforestation” pledge in light of reports that the company was involved in 1,000 cases of

deforestation per day. In addition, last year, a blistering report by Global Witness indicated that

Nestlé, Kellogg, and Colgate were buying their palm oil from companies that were actively

committing human rights infringements and using child labor.

The food and beverage company maintains they are continuing efforts to eliminate

deforestation and human rights violations from their supply chain.

Final Thoughts

Overall, greenwashing is a marketing technique. In many places, there are no legal ramifications

for the actions taken by greenwashing organizations. Therefore, the penalty for greenwashing is

often dictated by the public. The best way to eliminate greenwashing practices in organizations

is through public exposure and customer disapproval. When organizations confront enough

public demand for accountability, organizations are more likely to be persuaded to make good

on their environmental promises.

As organization leaders and business owners, it’s vital to be wary of greenwashing when

marketing your company. Starting a business is a challenging endeavor, and no organization

should be making promises they cannot keep. As a reminder, to avoid greenwashing – verify

your information, only make promises you can keep, and be transparent with your consumer

base and clients.

In this rapidly progressing world, these marketing tactics will soon be outdated. Hopefully,

companies will no longer need to fake their environmental commitments because they aren’t

false but real commitments. Until then, it’s always good to research and verify company claims.

Conscious consumerism is the best way to fight corporate greenwashing.