FINAL WORD
Environmental issues are at the forefront of public debate more now than ever before , and rightly so . Without a significant effort on the part of individuals and businesses to reduce our emissions and live in a more sustainable way , we face an unimaginable catastrophe .
However , a significant number of cynical players in many industries are exploiting our concerns about the environment . They sell themselves as responsible , enlightened friends of the planet when really the claims they make about their eco-credentials are worthless . A recent global review of randomly selected websites found that 40 % of green claims made online could be considered to be misleading .
Fortunately , consumers are getting more savvy when it comes to spotting greenwashing and PRled gimmicks . Technology is also allowing them to make more responsible purchasing choices . Apps such as Raise Green help consumers to search their local area for green businesses , while Joro lets them calculate the environmental impact of each purchase they make .
Regulators are also taking the problem much more seriously ; the UK ’ s Competition and Markets Authority ( CMA ) issued its Green Claims Code in September 2021 with the aim of exposing the greenwashers . So how can brands avoid falling foul of the new code and take genuine action to be more sustainable , while at the same time encouraging their customers to do so too ?
Audit existing activities
If you are operating in any of the following sectors , then the first thing to be aware of is that you are likely to be under close examination by the CMA as part of the Green Claims Code scheme .
These sectors are textiles and fashion , travel and transport , and consumer goods such as food and beverages , beauty products and cleaning products . It ’ s critical , then , to ensure that everything you are doing right now is up to scratch .
The most important thing you can do when auditing your existing credentials is to ensure that you communicate what you are doing clearly to your customer .
Any attempt to muddy the waters will put you across in a poor light . Also , what you don ’ t say is as important as what you do say . If you are guilty of misleading your customer by omitting key details of your processes , this is just as bad as lying about it .
Change your behaviour
If you ’ re going to talk the talk , you will have to walk the walk . This means you will have to review all of the things your business does and find better , more sustainable ways of doing them if at all possible . This isn ’ t likely to have a positive effect on your bottom line in the short term , but by undertaking a transparent process of self-improvement you can do wonders for your public image and – more importantly – help the environment .
Of course , environmental issues aren ’ t the only thing that consumers care about . The impact that your business has on the local community , how you treat workers and which suppliers you use are also crucial considerations . If you have aspirations of becoming a Certified B Corp then these factors will make or break your application .
Help customers change their behaviour
Consumers choose who they give their custom to very carefully , but also often need guidance on how they themselves can make better choices .
James Done , CEO of Tail
WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT ON THE PART OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES TO REDUCE OUR EMISSIONS AND LIVE IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE WAY , WE FACE AN UNIMAGINABLE CATASTROPHE .
Ask yourself what claims you are making about your products and services at the moment and just how honest they are . If you can back up the claims with concrete evidence , then great ; if not , you ’ ll have to stop making them . If you use logos to suggest that you are an eco-friendly business , are these logos of industry regulators that you have genuinely earned or simply labels that you have designed yourself ? If it ’ s the latter , then get rid of them .
According to research from Kantar , 23 % of consumers want brands to lead by example and drive change in the world . Businesses , then , need to ask themselves not just what they can do to be greener , but what they can do to encourage their customers to be greener too .
Consider recycling schemes and returns programmes that don ’ t put additional pressure on logistics and transportation networks , for
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