Claim: Companies are Cashing in on Climate Anxiety with False Marketing
8 hours ago Eric Worrall 20 Comments
Essay by Eric Worrall
Who didn’t see this coming?
Capitalising on climate anxiety: what you need to know about ‘climate-washing’
Published: April 3, 2023 6.03am AEST
Laura Schuijers
Deputy Director, Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law and Lecturer in Law, University of Sydney
People are increasingly making choices about which products to buy and which service providers to use on climate change grounds. With concerns about climate change now affecting most Australians, businesses that promote climate-aligned practices and make emissions-reduction promises have a competitive advantage over those that don’t.
But sometimes these claims fail to live up to reality. Climate-related greenwashing, or “climate-washing”, communicates a message that exaggerates or misrepresents climate credentials through advertising, branding, labelling or reporting.
Examples include where corporate marketing and government campaigns promising “net-zero emissions by 2050” are not backed by a credible plan. Or products are promoted as “carbon neutral” or “climate friendly” when they’re not. It also includes where banks and other investors claim to fund a “cleaner future” when this is not completely true, potentially masking climate-related financial risk.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/04/02/claim-companies-are-cashing-in-on-climate-anxiety-with-false-marketing/
