Greenwashing: watch out for unfair business practices
Climate change and its challenges are ubiquitous these days. Consumers are increasingly susceptible to sustainability claims, and companies are eager to capitalize on them. In light of 'corporate social responsibility' therefore, more and more companies are taking measures to "make themselves sustainable."
This is to be welcomed, although companies should be careful not to engage in greenwashing.
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing occurs when companies pretend to be more sustainable or environmentally conscious than they really are.
Beware of unfair trade practices
More and more companies are focusing their marketing strategy on sustainability, environment and ecology. Consumers increasingly want the products or services they purchase to be ecologically responsible are.
It is therefore tempting for companies to claim that they are doing more for the environment than is effectively the case. As a company, it is important to ensure that their sustainability claims would not result in consumers being misled. After all, when sustainability claims are misleading, erroneous or not verifiable are, companies are guilty of greenwashing.
This makes his unfair trading practices and is therefore prohibited. Companies guilty of greenwashing risk fines of up to 80,000 euros (to be multiplied by the opdeciemen).
Avoid greenwashing
Companies' green marketing strategies must meet the requirements for any form of advertising. Sustainability claims must be objectively verifiable and cannot be false or misleading.
Clarity
Make it clear to consumers exactly what is sustainable about the product or service being offered. If only some of the services or products offered by a company are sustainable, do not claim that the entire company is sustainable.
Verifiability
Corporate sustainability claims must be transparent, complete, reliable, objective and comparable.
Companies must be able to prove to consumers that the claims they make about sustainability are true and up to date.
Sustainable goals: be transparent
Introducing sustainability into a business takes time.
As a company, it is important not to persuade consumers with empty promises. Make it clear that as a company you have a certain goal in terms of sustainability and are working towards it.
Be clear about the current environmental impact and make it clear to consumers what the target is and how it is being worked toward.
That way, consumers can make an informed sustainable decision.
