Community-based Leadership in Sustainability presents

Claiming Green: Fact or Greenwashing?

#ClaimingGreen #HamCLS #SHevents #HamOnt

Community-based Leadership in SustainabilityFocus on connecting future leaders, institutions, businesses, and the local community, so that we may strengthen our collaborative potential and work together to reach our individual and collective goals.

CLS Contributors

#ClaimingGreen #HamCLS #SHevents #HamOnt

#ClaimingGreen #HamCLS #SHevents #HamOnt

SPN Executive Board

Maria Topalovic, ChairMatthew Sweet, Vice-Chair, Webmaster

Jayde Liebersbach, Secretary/Tresurer, Graphic DesignerPeter Topalovic, Collaborations Coordinator

Jay Carter: Sustainability CoordinatorKate Whalen: Educational Programs Coordinator

Liz Nield: Sustainable Hamilton Liaison

Student Contributors

Chitman Josan, McMaster Student InternCandice Persich, Mohawk Photography Student

CLS Organizing Committee

A group of sustainability professionals developing a network to connect existing groups and individuals working in, studying, and interested in developing a more sustainable community in Hamilton.

What is SPN?

Focus Areas:Community ProjectsNetworking & Mentorship

Outreach & Volunteering Education & Stewardship

Hamilton is at a tipping point for environmental, economic and social change. Let’s work together toward the opportunity of a more sustainable future.

#ClaimingGreen #HamCLS #SHevents #HamOnt

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Join our mailing list or participate in our planning team to shape the future of the SPN.

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#ClaimingGreen #HamCLS #SHevents #HamOnt

Claiming Green Overview7:00-8:30 Speaker PresentationsMike Sawchuck; Peter Baraniecki; Roger Abbiss

8:30-8:45Break

8:45-9:15 Panel Discussion & Q&AModerator: Sandi Stride, Sustainable Hamilton

9:15-10:00 Networking

Take Part During and After the EventTwitter#HamCLS

#ClaimingGreen

#SHevents

Tell us how we did!Take our survey by January 29th

Re-live the eventHamiltonSPN.com

Sustainable Hamilton…helping to create

sustainable prosperity for Hamilton and

Burlingtonby inspiring and

rewarding sustainability

leadership in our business organizations.

Tonight’s Speakers:

Mike SawchukUL Environment

Peter BaranieckiThe Printing House

Roger AbbissCoffeecology

Greenwashing –Seven Sins

January 15, 2015

Sustainable Hamilton

Mike Sawchuk

UL Environment

Michael.Sawchuk@ul.com

416-606-6501

What Will We Review?

1) Greenwashing – extent; what is it; 7 sins

2) Under the Lens: Claiming Green; Shelton Group Study (2014)

3) The Sustainability Communications Curve

4) Eco-Labels

5) Key Take-Aways

6) Questions

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1) Greenwashing … Why the Increased Demand?

- People would like safer products

…safer for the users, occupants and visitors of the facilities where being used

…and safer for the environment

13

Growth of Green Advertising

Problem

- As the market grows, so does the use of vague and misleading claims in order to drive sales

- Some claims reflect honest efforts to promote products

- Some are not- Result = confusion, suspicion

15

Problem

17

Sample of Vague and Misleading Environmental Claims

• Eco-safe• Environmentally friendly• Earth friendly• Earth smart• Environmentally safe• Environmentally preferable• Essentially non-toxic• Practically non-toxic

• Made with non-toxic ingredients

• Degradable• Biodegradable• Compostable• Environmentally safe• CFC-free• Ozone friendly• Recyclable

Original Source: Kirsten Ritche, Gensler

* Without substantial qualifying language

The Environmental Claims Challenge

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• All environmental claims are contextual.

• The validity of any claim, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is dependent upon how a typical consumer interprets the claim.

• If the typical consumer interprets a claim in a way that makes the claim misleading, the claim is misleading.

• As a result, it is difficult to provide explicit advice for making environmental claims.

Beware of Greenwashing

Green∙wash (gr n'w sh', -wôsh')ē ŏ – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service

WARNING:

Learn to ask critical questions or you might be selling or buying products with creative marketing rather than

products with legitimate environmental benefits.

Seven “Sins” of Greenwashing

• Defines the most common deceptive green claims

• Recommends ways to avoid making false claims

• Based on regulatory frameworks including the ASA, FTC, US EPA, and Canadian Competition Bureau.

Seven “Sins” of Greenwashing

- 2007 – The Six Sins of Greenwashing

- 2009 – The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

- 2010 – The 2010 Sins of Greenwashing

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Sin of Fibbing

Environmental claims that are simply false.

Sin of Vagueness

A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer.

Sin of Irrelevance

An environmental claim which may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally-preferable products.

Sin of No Proof

An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification.

Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off

A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important issues.

Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

A claim that may be true within a product category but distracts the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole.

Sin of Worshiping False Labels

A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

Applying the “Seven Sins”

www.sinsofgreenwashing.org

Hidden Trade OffIs the “green” claim restricted to just one, or a narrow set of environmental issue(s)?

VaguenessIs the meaning of the claim specific and self-evident?

IrrelevanceCould all other products in this category make the same claim?

Fibbing Is the claim true?

Lesser of Two EvilsIs this claim trying to make consumers feel ‘green’ about a product category that is of questionable environmental benefit?

No ProofDoes this claim provide consumers evidence that the claim can be substantiated?

Worshipping False Labels

Does this claim (or image) give the wrong impression of third-party endorsement?

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Green Guides

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•Statement of Basis and Purpose provides guidance on acceptable environmental marketing claims.

•All marketing claims must adhere to the guidance.

•Originally published in 1992 with revisions in 1996, 1998, and October of 2012.

•Contains relevant information including guidance on how to make claims with examples by type.

www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2012/10/greenguidesstatement.pdf

2) Under the Lens: Claiming GreenThrough a survey of over 1017 consumers and

41,796 head-to-head comparisons of green product claims (including certified, valid but not certified, and greenwashing/problematic claims), assess the impact that green product claims have on consumer preference and perceived brand value.

Conducted by the Shelton Group in 2014

http://environment.ul.com/claiminggreen

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Under the Lens: Claiming Green

- If you have the time, and the expertise, and are able to get all the necessary information from the suppliers, then you can do your own evaluation and assume responsibility for the validity of the information and decision.

- If you do not have all – the time, the expertise, and all the required information – you are at the mercy of the supplier.

- Like if requiring a licensed electrician or plumber, ensure the product is certified where there is a criteria/standard.

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Under the Lens: Claiming Green

For business decision makers, certifications are critical for saving time and protecting reputation:

- Certifications are thought to reduce risk and potential blow-back from bad recommendations. That is, they help insure quality.

- Industry professionals don’t have the time to research every claim and there is still a great deal of skepticism about un-verified claims. That is, certifications save time in product research/selection.

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Your Customer’s Concerns About Sustainability Issues

Vol

ume

of S

ust

aina

bilit

y In

form

atio

n

Des

ired

by

You

r C

usto

mer

Issue Specific Interest

Structured Data Reporting

Data Mining

LCAs & EPDs

User customizes verified eco-information priorities.

Multi-Attribute Focus

Lo

wH

igh

3) The Sustainability Communications CurveAs your customers learn more about human health and other sustainability issues, your customers will demand additional information from you about your products and services. UL offers a variety of communication tools to meet your customers information needs.

Don’t Know; Don’t Care

No sustainability

communication needed

Achievement-Based Communication Data-Based Communication

UL Environment

4) Eco Labels

http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabels

Rough History of Eco Labels Increasing Clutter >440 Labels Today

36Year

Num

ber

of L

abel

s

2000 20201995

400

1980 1990 20101970

Blue Angel, Germany

(1978)

EcoLogo, Canada (1988)

Green Seal, USA (1989)

Energy Star, USA (1992)

WaterSense, USA (2000)

GREENGUARD, USA (2001)

DfE, USA (1997)

LEED, USA (1994)

UL Environment, USA (2010)

Global EcoLabelling

Network founded w/ 12 members

(1994)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)Type 1 (ISO 14024:1999) – labels and certifications/declarations affirm

compliance with pre-determined, multi-attribute, lifecycle-based environmental performance requirements for products within the same category. ECOLOGO for example.

Type 2 (ISO 14021:1999) – labels and declarations reflect self declaration by the manufacturer for the environmental performance claims. The environmental performance criteria have neither been defined nor accepted, and have not been independently verified.

Type 3 (ISO 14025:2006) – labels and certifications/declarations present objective, quantifiable, lifecycle-based environmental information about a product in a consistent manner. Environmental Product Declarations for example.

37

Comparing Eco-Labels

WARNING: Not All Environmental Claims Are Created Equal

Learn to Ask About

- Validity & transparency of the standard- Standard setting process- Verification process- Attributes evaluated- Post certification compliance

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5) Key Take-Aways• Demands for Green/Sustainability information

and transparency are increasing.

• 95% of Green/Sustainability Claims are false.

• Green/Sustainability and Transparency tools are widely available.

• Unless you have the expertise, and the time, and all the necessary information from the suppliers, ask for proven/recognized 3rd party test results, validations, certifications.