Washing away greenwashing

The deceptive practice undermines genuine efforts by industries and individuals to achieve the 2050 net zero target.

The UK’s advertising watchdog has put 17 “well-known” fashion labels on notice to review their sustainability claims amid an ongoing crackdown on greenwashing.

Greenwashing — when companies claim to be green but aren’t — is a global phenomenon making no distinction between developed and emerging markets. While some do it inadvertently, others are well aware of their guilt.

Britain’s  Competition and Markets Authority issued its warning amid its publication of a compliance guide designed to help businesses ensure their sustainability marketing stays within the law.

Greenwashing targets both the regulatory authorities and the rapidly increasing number of eco-conscious consumers. While the former has some clout, the latter is defenceless, often left confused and eventually cheated of their trust in paying, sometimes more, for sustainable products.

Investors, meanwhile, have a lot more due diligence to undertake with greenwashing rampant in almost all markets.

But most importantly, greenwashing is a hurdle in the battle against climate change. With emissions from all industries needing to reach net zero by 2050, greenwashing undermines genuine efforts towards sustainability.

“Right now, the planet cannot afford delays, excuses, or more greenwashing. It’s not just advertising but bogus net-zero claims drive up the cost that ultimately everyone would pay,” said Catherine McKenna, chair of the UN’s expert group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities and former Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

“Including people not in this room, through huge impact, with climate migration and their very lives.”

In recent years, regulatory bodies worldwide have intensified scrutiny of greenwashing practices, with legal actions emerging against corporations for overstating their environmental credentials. Experts say this is only the tip of the iceberg.

But although enforcement challenges remain a significant hurdle, particularly in regions with less robust regulatory frameworks, there is growing recognition both among industries and consumers that greenwashing be stopped.

The fight against greenwashing is now recognised as a critical component of the broader movement toward corporate accountability, consumer protection and ultimately a healthier planet.