Zeroing in on greenwashing: How corporations misuse net zero pledges
Major corporations are making disingenuous ‘net zero’ and ‘carbon neutral’ claims based on dubious emissions offsetting practices rather than actual cuts. This cannot continue.
Major corporations are making disingenuous ‘net zero’ and ‘carbon neutral’ claims based on dubious emissions offsetting practices rather than actual cuts. This cannot continue.
Carbon removals are not meant as a tool for corporate greenwashing or climate inaction. They should only be used to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The 2023 edition of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor (CCRM) assesses the transparency and quality of the climate strategies of 24 major global corporations. Only one …
Despite claiming to be champions of climate action, two dozen of the world’s largest and richest corporations are hiding their climate inaction behind the fig leaf of green-sounding ‘net zero’ plans, concludes the 2023 edition of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor. For that reason, governments must stop their dithering and regulate robustly what green claims companies are permitted to make.
As the climate crisis intensifies, EU legislators are working on updating the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) and the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD) to better protect consumers against common greenwashing practices and equip them for a green economy. However, the current proposal – “Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition” – will not effectively end greenwashing. …
The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor evaluates the transparency and integrity of companies’ climate pledges.
Regulators must act to protect people from false corporate green claims and to ensure that only true climate leaders are able to claim that mantle. If this is not appropriately addressed, people will continue to be misled by false climate claims and they will effectively be denied the opportunity to decarbonise their consumption and/or investment and play their part in limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Thus, it is imperative that policymakers, both at the EU and global levels, urgently act to remedy this pervasive problem of greenwashing.
This document sets out a series of recommendations to combat corporate greenwashing.
Instead of cleaning up their businesses and business models to tackle climate change, top corporations are engaging in cosmetic change and greenwashing to improve their image. Why is this? Climate action is in the air. Like governments around the world, major corporations are falling over themselves to issue climate pledges and, in keeping with being …
Read more “Greenwashing exposes climate of corporate inaction”
The horror playing out in Ukraine disturbs and distresses the Carbon Market Watch team. We have discussed it amongst ourselves. We have expressed our solidarity with those who are affected. We share their anger at the Russian regime’s unwarranted aggression, senseless bloodshed and escalating destruction. We have joined Ukrainian activists in asking for the international …
Read more “March newsletter editorial: The Ukraine tragedy and the heavy price of war”
Corporations are exaggerating their climate action, according to our recent report. But what are the next steps for those companies who truly want to reduce their impact on the climate? And how can governments stop false or misleading pledges sneaking into advertising? The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor, a joint report from Carbon Market Watch and …
Read more “Hollow corporate promises: How to stop false climate claims”
As the discussion at European and international level on carbon neutrality and net zero targets is rapidly evolving, 27 NGOs seek to clarify the European Commission’s views on carbon neutrality claims and their potential for greenwashing. They demand that action is taken to regulate green claims and combat greenwashing in ongoing legislative processes, notably the …
Read more “Open letter to the EU Commission on green claims”