Guide | Five ways to spot greenwashing

Greenwashing – the process of presenting deceptive or false information about how “green” a company’s products or services are – can mislead museums and the public, and undermine confidence in efforts to tackle climate change

1. Carbon offsetting

Watch out for carbon offsetting, where a company tries to balance their own emissions by finding other ways to remove an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Experts such as Greenpeace warn this can be a sign that they are trying to detract attention from the environmental damage of their actual business operations.

2. Jargon

Do due diligence on a supplier’s sustainability report. The Zero Carbon Analytics research group has produced a guide to deciphering the jargon – including whether any Scope 3 emissions are excluded.

3. Selective disclosure

It is also vital to keep an eye out for selective disclosure. According to the UN, this might look like communicating the sustainability of a product, while ignoring other impacts. An example is clothing made from recycled materials in a high-emitting factory that pollutes the air and nearby waterways.

4. Buzzwords

The UN also highlights the use of buzzwords such as “eco-friendly” or “green”, which can be misinterpreted as there are no standard definitions. Likewise, vague language or unsubstantiated environmental claims are often a red flag that products are not all they seem to be.

5. Delve deeper

If you look after procurement, you have a duty to look beyond a company’s environmental claims and do you own research. Looking deeper into company ownership is a good starting point, as an increasingly widespread greenwashing tactic is for large firms to acquire smaller brands with environmental credentials.