#3 Greenwashing: why is it inevitable and how to spot it

Time to Shift - English Edition

Is greenwashing a threat to sustainability?
Yes, especially when well-concealed. In this episode, we start off by defining
greenwashing as the advertisement of practices which would, according to the
announcements of a company, allow us to respect the Paris Agreement (limiting
global warming to 2°C) when reality
indicates otherwise.

It really isn’t easy for a company to
respect the Paris Agreement when it’s aim is to grow… Find out why greenwashing
is everywhere, and how to spot it easily with a few rules of thumb!

This episode is based on work carried out
by the Shifters. Thank you to Clément Boyer for his support and help along the
way.

Sources:

Air France announcement: https://corporate.airfrance.com/en/press-release/air-france-proactively-offset-100-co2-emissions-its-domestic-flights-january-1st-2020

DPD claim (French version) https://www.dpd.com/fr/fr/drivingchange-nos-engagements-rse/engagement-neutralite-carbone/demarche-neutralite-carbone/

Porsche claim investigation (only available
in French) https://www.carbone4.com/porsche-a-reduit-de-75-emissions-de-fabrication-voitures-2014

L’Oréal progress report: https://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/sustainability

Note: L’Oréal plans to reduce their
emissions per product by 2030 compared to 2016, hence not making any
claims regarding the future of its absolute emissions, and with it any claims
to aim to respect the Paris Agreement

Carbon offsetting note: https://jancovici.com/en/climate-change/ghg-and-carbon-cycle/cant-we-just-grow-forests-to-compensate-for-our-co2-emissions/