1. By: Kevin Vennesland Gloria Hatch Misa Kumata Dawn Bergot
Greenwashing
By: Kevin Vennesland
Gloria Hatch
Misa Kumata
Dawn Bergot

3. Introduction What is Greenwashing?
Marketing to promote perception that products are “green”
Money spent on advertising being “green” rather than on environmentally sound practices
Mostly used to describe energy companies – largest polluters
Greenwashing is a term describing the deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company's policies or products (such as goods or services) are environmentally friendly.
Coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westerveld in a 1986 essay regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing placards in each room promoting reuse of towels ostensibly to "save the environment" but instead it was using “ethical marketing” to increase profits.
Term generally used when much money/time has been spent advertising being green, rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices. This is often portrayed by changing the name or label of a product to evoke the natural environment or nature—for example, putting an image of a forest on a bottle containing harmful chemicals.
Environmentalists often use greenwashing to describe the actions of energy companies, which are traditionally the largest polluters.

4. History
1960’s
Environmental movement gains momentum – first examples of “green” advertising
Some call it “ecopornography”
1970’s
First Earth Day held on April 22, 1970
Public utilities spend $300 million in “green” advertising
1960’s - In the mid 1960’s, the environmental movement gained momentum. This popularity prompted many companies to create a new green image through advertising. A former Madison advertising executive
called this new form of advertising "ecopornography".
1970’s - Due to public interest in the environment, the first Earth Day was held on April 22, This encouraged many industries to advertise themselves as being friendly to the environment. Public utilities spent 300 million dollars advertising themselves as clean green companies.
1980’s - Chevron Corporation, a large oil company, launched one of the most famous greenwashing ad campaigns in history. Their ads lasted for 15 years and they became one of the only oil companies that people trusted in protecting the environment.
1990’s - A study published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing (American Marketing Association) found that 58% of environmental ads had at least one deceptive claim. Another study found that 77% of people said the environmental reputation of company affected whether they would buy their products.
2000’s - In 2002, during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the Greenwashing Academy hosted the Greenwash Academy Awards. The ceremony awarded companies like BP, ExxonMobil, and even the US Government for their elaborate greenwashing ads and support for greenwashing.

5. History
1980’s
Chevron launches most successful greenwashing ad campaign
Ads last for 15 years – earned people’s trust to protect environment
1990’s
58% of environmental ads have deceptive claims
77% say company’s environmental reputation would determine purchase of products
1980’s - Chevron Corporation, a large oil company, launched one of the most famous greenwashing ad campaigns in history. Their ads lasted for 15 years and they became one of the only oil companies that people trusted in protecting the environment.
1990’s - A study published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing (American Marketing Association) found that 58% of environmental ads had at least one deceptive claim. Another study found that 77% of people said the environmental reputation of company affected whether they would buy their products.
2000’s - In 2002, during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the Greenwashing Academy hosted the Greenwash Academy Awards. The ceremony awarded companies like BP, ExxonMobil, and even the US Government for their elaborate greenwashing ads and support for greenwashing.

6. History 2000’s Greenwash Academy Awards held
BP, ExxonMobil, and US Government awarded for support of greenwashing
2000’s - In 2002, during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the Greenwashing Academy hosted the Greenwash Academy Awards. The ceremony awarded companies like BP, ExxonMobil, and even the US Government for their elaborate greenwashing ads and support for greenwashing.

7. Regulations in Canada, the U.S., and Europe
Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers
Developed by Competition Bureau of Canada
Guidelines provide businesses with tools
Guides For The Use of Environmental Marketing Claims
Basis for voluntary compliance to laws by members of industry
The European Ecolabel
Promote products and services that are kinder to the environment
Canada
Canada has created regulations to help marketers and businesses understand the terms of environmental safe products. The document is called Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers. It was developed by the Competition Bureau of Canada in partnership with Canada Standards Council. The guidelines in the document are adopted from CSA’s (CAN/CSA-ISO 14021) International Organization for Standardization’s standard for environmental labelling. The IOS provides an “international harmonization of widely used self-declared environmental claims. The guidelines were developed to provide business with tools on how they can comply with the Competition Act when doing marketing and advertising their green products and services." It is also meant to give consumers more assurance on the products that they sell. Claims must be “verifiable, accurate, meaningful, and reliable” for consumers to understand the impact of environmental information they see. Finally, the information is just guidelines, meant to help businesses avoid making mistakes with environmental claims and comply with CBC laws. US
The United States has GUIDES FOR THE USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETING CLAIMS. These guides specifically address the application of Section of the FTC Act to environmental advertising and marketing practices. They are meant to provide voluntary commitment to laws by industry members. The guides apply to labelling, advertising, promotional materials and all other forms of marketing. There are many examples of explanation regarding the use application of different environmental claims.
European
“The European Ecolabel is a voluntary scheme, established in 1992 to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment.” It consists of a wide range of products, from appliances to textiles. Products are evaluated from the whole life-cycle, (raw-materials to disposal) before they are given the Ecolabel. “EU Ecolabel is part of a broader action plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy.”

8. Examples in Canada
“Fur is Green” campaign by the Fur Council of Canada
The whole process of turning an animal into a fur coat or trim is extremely energy intensive. It involves soaking, washing, fleshing, turning, tanning, extraction, wringing, drying, cleaning, plucking, shearing, trimming, shaving, buffing, drying and finishing, plus chemical treatments necessary to keep pelts from decaying or collecting fleas.

9. Examples in Canada
“The hills are alive, with the sound of drilling”: the ad from the Canadian American Business Council.
The ad touts the United States' and Canada's "mutual respect for the environment," but then goes on to shamelessly greenwash one of North America's worst environmental disasters, the massive project to extract oil from Alberta's tar sands.

10. Examples Global

11. Oppositions Key Opposition Organizations Others
TerraChoice Environmental Marketing - Sins of Greenwashing studies
CHOICE in Australia – “people’s watchdog”
The Greenwashing Index – University of Oregon
Greenpeace
Others
Greenwashing blogs
YouTube videos
Organizations and individuals are making attempts to reduce the impact of greenwashing by exposing it to the public.
TerraChoice – an environmental marketing firm located in Ottawa, has written several studies on the Sins of Greenwashing. They work with “genuine environmental leaders to help them build market share and accelerate progress towards sustainability”.
CHOICE[30] in Australia offers a chance to report greenwash claims on their website.
The Greenwashing Index, created by the University of Oregon, allows examples of greenwashing to be uploaded and rated by the public.
Greenpeace, the international environmental organization, has a blog that allows greenwashing claims to be rated.
Greenwashing blogs also exist to reveal any untruths in claims that are made.
And, of course, YouTube videos, like the one you saw earlier, also put the spotlight on greenwashing.

12. Conclusion Awareness of greenwashing Do your research Generic claims –
Irrelevant “green” claims
Lesser of two evils – “organic” cigarettes
Look for an “eco-label” like Green Seal
“Earth Smart!”
Be aware that greenwashing does exist as a form of false advertising.
If in doubt, do your research. Check out the companies behind the products and review their “green” policies. Are they truly eco-conscious?
Be aware that generic claims like “environmental preferability,” “environmentally friendly,” or “Earth smart” do not provide purchasers with any specific information that can be used to compare products
Be wary of irrelevance of “green” facts associated with products. For example, products claiming to be CFC-free (containing no chlorofluorocarbons which are harmful to our ozone layer), even though CFCs were banned altogether 20-some years ago.
Beware of the Lesser of Two Evils found in contradictory product combinations such as “organic” cigarettes or “environmentally friendly” pesticides
Look for an eco-label. Not just any eco-label, but a meaningful one like Green Seal. A solid eco-label is a shortcut to finding a truly green product, because it denotes a product subjected to objective, publicly known green standards with third-party verification.

13. What We Did! Slide transition Object manipulation (Earth Smart!)
Motion path with customized animation (moving flags!)
Embed YouTube videos and recorded audio!
Customized theme & text boxes (grass…)
Notes on Notes Page/Headers & Footers on Handout Master