Avoiding Greenwashing
What does it take for your product to become ‘green’? The latest advertising fad has been to label products eco-friendly, energy-efficient, organic, even natural, but what checks and balances are there to ensure these claims are more than just a marketing ploy. Director’s Pattamaporn Kittipanachol takes a look at industry standards currently observed in Thailand.
With rising awareness of consumption induced environmental degradation, consumers have increasingly turned to purportedly organic, non-toxic and eco-friendly goods and services. Yet how many of these claims are truly valid? What can good businesses do to differentiate themselves from their peers?
The ‘Sustainable Futures 09’ report, whose fieldwork covered more than 50 brands and 20,000 active consumers, revealed that although 48% of consumers were willing to pay a 10% premium for green products and services, while 64% regarded these labels as ‘marketing tools’ rather than authentic expressions of corporate environmental and social responsibility. With an overwhelming 80% indicating that they respect ‘responsible’ companies, businesses should avoid making false claims that can wreak untold damage to goodwill and reputation painstakingly built over the years.
