For a more in-depth example of greenwashing, check out this case study on VietJet.
The automotive industry is not free from accusations of greenwashing. In fact, it’ s becoming a growing issue especially now that electric vehicles( EV) are on the rise. Auto manufacturers are in the hot seat, as they could easily claim lower emissions using the international Greenhouse House Gas( GHHG) Protocol.
Under the protocol are scope 3 emissions, which are defined as the“ emissions are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organisation, but that the organisation indirectly affects in its value chain.” The higher an organisation’ s scope 3 numbers are, the more emissions they produce. Forbes cited Signal Climate Analytics CEO Timothy Nixon in saying that automakers often leave an important figure unreported—“ the underlying performance per kilometre travelled and greenhouse emissions released per kilometre— this key metric of the carbon intensity of the product.” Thus, these scope 3 numbers can be easily manipulated by companies, lending to an eco-friendly facade.
How does greenwashing manifest in the automotive industry?
First, a report released by the Environmental Defenders Office( EDO) revealed that an alarming number of auto companies in Australia released“ misleading and deceptive claims” about their environmental contributions. Its findings claim that manufacturers do not consider the entirety of a car’ s life cycle, intentionally leaving out the“ manufacturing and disposal process.” This supports claims of automakers disregarding or manipulating scope 3 emissions to appear more eco-friendly.
Second, the report found that majority of the“ misleading claims” among its findings are regarding hybrids and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles( PHEVs). According to the EDO, there are several“ common misleading representations” about PHEVs, such as:
• PHEVs have emissions equal to, and a smaller carbon footprint compared to ICE vehicles
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