Nine in 10 at U.N. Climate Change Conference Believe Greenwashing is a Problem

10/12/2007 - 11:15

Nine of 10 delegates and participants attending the U.N. Climate
Change Conference believe companies are "greenwashing," according to a
survey conducted by EnviroMedia Social Marketing, Inc.

In the survey, 46 of 54 randomly selected respondents agreed with
the statement, "Some companies are advertising products and services
with environmental claims that could be considered false,
unsubstantiated and/or unethical."

"It would not have been much of a surprise to see that kind of
response from American or EU constituents, but we were really
surprised to see that strong a response from the global community,
including many developing countries," said EnviroMedia President Kevin
Tuerff.

Survey respondents represented 31 countries on six continents and
included representatives of business, government and non-governmental
organizations.

What in the World is Going on With Green Marketing?

EnviroMedia, a 10-year-old U.S.-based social marketing firm that
works solely on environmental and public health issues, is calling on
consumers around the globe to send examples of both good and bad green
marketing campaigns to its new Web site, www.greenwashingindex.com.
Co-founders Kevin Tuerff and Valerie Davis are encouraging consumers
to submit TV, print or online environmental ads for the public to rank
on the new "EnviroMedia Greenwashing Index."

"We´re calling for an end to greenwashing," said EnviroMedia CEO
Valerie Davis.

"Awareness of greenwashing is starting to catch on -- just like
consumer concerns about climate change have in 2007. This new Web site
is the world´s first interactive online forum for educating consumers
on the criteria for recognizing greenwashing. It´s our hope consumers
will know greenwashing when they see it, and that this will compel
companies to strive for true green improvements that make their
environmental marketing more genuine."

EnviroMedia will reveal a compilation of the consumer greenwashing
submissions and illustrate how consumers believe the ads stack up on
its Greenwashing Index on Jan. 7, a day before the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission holds its "Eco in The Market" forum in Washington, D.C., to
address green advertising claims. The FTC recently announced it will
accelerate by one year a review of its environmental marketing
guidelines, due to a rapid rise in green advertising.