Nowadays, no one doubts the importance of sustainability in the development of companies’ activities, and therefore, communicating and informing about advancements in this field by organizations is crucial, justified by various reasons, including the following:
a) Firstly, in order to gain and build trust. It is evident that consumers and investors want to know that companies are committed to sustainability. By communicating their sustainability efforts, companies can generate trust and credibility.
b) Secondly, to create business opportunities. Companies that lead in sustainability are more attractive to customers, investors, and business partners. This justifies the need for such communication, as sustainability can help companies open up new business opportunities.
c) Finally, to significantly improve the organization’s reputation. Companies recognized for their commitment to sustainability undoubtedly have a better reputation.
This can lead to greater customer loyalty, increased talent attraction, and a stronger competitive position. Within this communication about sustainability and environmental considerations, there is a common practice known as Greenwashing, which involves portraying an organization or company’s marketing image as environmentally friendly while their actions go against the environment.
This “green communication” doesn’t always mean the company is more environmentally friendly, nor does it indicate an environmental commitment. Therefore, Greenwashing is defined as an abusive and deceptive communication.
This practice refers to a company portraying sustainability and environmental values without actually providing sustainable services.
The counterpoint to this is for companies to adopt a socially responsible approach within this field of action that decisively contributes to sustainable development, ensuring its authenticity.
From the consumers’ perspective, it is essential to note that the increasing use of misleading “green” claims diminishes the environmental qualities of a product.
Clearly, the primary effect is one of distrust and skepticism, causing consumers to struggle in identifying truly sustainable products from those that lack these characteristics.
In these processes, it is crucial to determine if a company engages in practices that may qualify as Greenwashing, considering the following circumstances:
a) Lack of evidence.
It is important to evaluate when communication omits data or lacks verifiable or certified information to prove a product’s environmental friendliness.
b) Concealed information.
Products may be promoted as green or ecological, but certain important aspects are left out, resulting in other negative environmental impacts.
c) Inaccuracies in communication.
Attributing product qualities with limited information or potential misinterpretations, such as products labeled as “natural” that do not guarantee sustainability.
d) Use of potentially false labels.
This refers to products falsely implying third-party sustainability endorsements through images or words, without fully ensuring sustainability.
e) Irrelevant information content.
Claims of environmental practices are used to build consumer trust, even if the said practices are illegal and cannot be performed by any other company.
f) Lastly, lying or providing false information to consumers.
This involves products falsely claiming certification or promoting actions that do not correspond with reality.
Ultimately, these are misleading advertising practices that aim to confuse consumers and markets about a company’s activities through their goods, products, or services, and must be consistently rejected and eliminated due to the confusion and misinformation they generate.
