We live in a world increasingly concerned with the wellbeing of our planet, and justifiably so. Everyday we are bombarded with media and messages urging people to be more environmentally friendly, as a result the population is generally embracing this responsibility. Marketers and advertisers, not ones to miss a trick, have identified this need in our collective psyche. These days, the term ‘environmentally friendly’ is rivaled only by ‘99% fat free’ for pervasiveness amongst marketing slogans. Of course, this concern for the environment is one that is ripe for exploitation.

Which brings us to the concept of ‘Greenwash’, an environmental claim which is unsubstantiated or irrelevant. It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “Disinformation disseminated by an organisation, etc., so as to present an environmentally responsible public image; a public image of environmental responsibility promulgated by or for an organisation, etc., but perceived as being unfounded or intentionally misleading.” This notion was first conceived by public relations and marketing analysts and has implications for both sponsorship and general commentary found on community broadcasting.


Why is there greenwash?

Consumers have started to change their buying patterns in a way that has impacted on marketers of goods and services. It’s not only purchasing habits that are shifting, so are public expectations. Communities as a whole believe that companies should improve the social and environmental impacts of their products and services. Companies realise that consumers today have an increased awareness of the environmental impact that modern goods may have. Many consumers consider environmental claims, such as water or energy efficiency, as a major factor when evaluating products to purchase. Environmental claims can be a powerful marketing tool. It is essential that consumers be provided with accurate information in order to make informed decisions.

The problem with greenwash

Greenwash can confuse your audience by making them uncertain about buying green products. Distrust generated by this situation will eventually mean that consumers stop making purchasing decisions based on their green preferences. In other words, greenwashing can lead to people giving up on the notion of environmentally friendly products all together, which of course, is no good for the environment at all.

In this situation, greenwash destroys the very market it hopes to exploit. Consumers rely on community broadcasters to provide truthful information, and greenwash can undermining their confidence. Without confidence in these claims, consumers are reluctant to exercise the power of their green purchasing, as they no longer know who or what to believe.



Why should community broadcasters be aware of greenwash?

Most greenwash is due to ignorance rather than malicious intent, and community broadcasters can take simple steps to prevent greenwash slipping through.

At a station level

If you’re serious about making your station a greener place, then you’ll need to understand greenwashing to ensure you aren’t being greenwashed yourself. Take cleaning products, for example. Many cleaning products are not very environmentally friendly, but with most people being more aware they are now looking to purchase more environmentally friendly cleaning products. As a result, many manufacturers are now attempting to make their products greener. Some are genuinely achieving this goal, others have just got a great marketing spin such as “Now 2% more green!” which, really, is meaningless.

So, as you start to make your station more green, you’ll need to try and see through the marketing and greenwashing to ensure that you really are making a difference.

At a community level

As your going green yourself, it’s only natural that you’ll want to tell your listeners. Again, it’s important to choose your words carefully so that you aren’t in fact greenwashing your own audience.

For example, if your station is planning to become a carbon neutral operation, you might want to promote this fact by running a campaign informing your listeners of this decision. However, you’ll need to do some planning and documenting first. You will need to know exactly what you’re going to do, how long it will take and most importantly, whether it is actually achievable. This will ensure you’re able to substantiate your claim of carbon neutrality.

In addition to promoting your own initiatives, you may want to encourage listeners to become more ecologically sound and give them tips on how to do this. Again, it’s important that the information is right.

For example, a common perception is that holding on to appliances for as long as you can is a form of recycling. Certainly doing this means your old stuff doesn’t unnecessarily end up in land fill, plus your not adding to the demand of new products. So this seems like a fairly straightforward tip to tell your listeners.

But unfortunately, this theory isn’t always correct. For example, if you've still got that avocado green fridge from the 1970s, you're using 70 percent more power than you would with a new model. This is because newer models of fridges have been designed to be more energy efficient. This is the case with many items, particularly white goods.

So again, it’s vital that you check the information that you broadcast and make sure your “green tips”, truly are green

As such you have a responsibility to provide accurate guidance and opinions to your audience.

At a sponsorship level

Through sponsorship, community broadcasters have the potential to play a powerful role in convincing consumers to buy green products, ultimately leading to the greening of the marketplace. From the previous examples we can see the importance of a stations awareness of greenwash. Equally as important is the scrutiny that community broadcasters must apply to organisations promoted through sponsorship. If a local business is using sponsorship to endorse themselves as a green business, the broadcaster must take measure to verify these claims. In this situation it is reasonable to think that the audience will shoot the messenger for broadcasting inaccurate information.


Legal aspects of Greenwash

The most recently published guidance in Australia, the ‘Green Marketing and Trade Practices Act’ cautions businesses that substantiating green claims is not only best practice, it’s the law. Any attempts to mislead or deceive consumers carry serious penalties.

As such, there are several aspects that community broadcasters must be mindful of to ensure sponsorship is greenwash free. Sponsorship must NOT:
-Mislead Customers
-Deceive Customers
-Make claims that are unsubstantiated
-Use environmental images capable of making a sweeping claim of environmental benefit.
-Be unclear
-Be technically or narrowly correct without looking at the bigger picture
-Present claims as universally accepted when the scientific basis is under dispute or inconclusive


Steps to prevent Greenwash

Step 1: Know your organisation and sponsors

Before even starting to think about broadcasting green-themed sponsorship, determine whether your organisation is green or not. Take care when promoting a single green attribute of a product when the rest of the product is not or when green claims are false and misleading.

Step 2: Be green by design

The easiest products and services to promote responsibly are those specifically designed to be green or re-designed to be so, not those where you have
investigated in search of a green aspect.

Step 3: Choose your words carefully

Some terms like ‘organic’ or ‘free range’ now have legal definitions. Others such as Fairtrade are copyrighted. So if you’re using these terms, you need to make sure you’re using them correctly and that you can justify their use.

Step 4: Develop a clear policy

Ensure that all station staff and volunteers are clear on the ecological policy of your station and the pertinent rules and regulations. Ensure current and potential sponsors are also aware of this policy.

10 Signs of Greenwash

1. Fluffy language Words or terms with no clear meaning, e.g. ‘eco-friendly’

2. Green products v dirty company Such as efficient light bulbs made in a factory which pollutes rivers

3. Suggestive pictures Green images that indicate a (un-justified) green impact e.g. flowers blooming from exhaust pipes

4. Irrelevant claims Emphasising one tiny green attribute when everything else is un-green

5. Best in class? Declaring you are slightly greener than the rest, even if the rest are pretty terrible

6. Just not credible ‘Eco friendly’ cigarettes anyone? ‘Greening’ a dangerous product doesn’t make it safe

7. Gobbledygook: Jargon and information that only a scientist could check or understand

8. Imaginary friends A ‘label’ that looks like third party endorsement … except it’s made up

9. No proof It could be right, but where’s the evidence?

10. Out-right lying Totally fabricated claims or data