Industry Giants and other Companies Face Greenwashing Allegations

Greenwashing Deceives Consumers

Many companies face litigation for their deceptive greenwashing efforts. These companies often commit to unsubstantiated sustainability efforts that may never come to fruition or potentially release claims of their green successes in one area of their practice, that may actually be a distraction from other business practices that may be not so safe for the environment.

While our goals as consumers is to see a company engage in actionable goals for sustainability, many companies falter by advertising broad or generic sustainability claims or long-term climate goals that may not be so easily calculated.  Airlines have faced several accusations on the same, with companies such as Delta or American Airlines being criticized for misrepresentations of its environmental commitments, such as providing options to purchase “carbon credits” in order to offset carbon emissions or falsely advertising uses of “sustainable air fuel.”

It is not, however, the Air industry alone that promotes greenwashing tactics. Companies can mislead consumers of the significant carbon emissions caused by its manufacturing plants, or perhaps the excessive material or labor used to create products. Companies can even use buzzwords such as “carbon neutral” to mislead consumers into thinking that the companies’ practices are up to code, when they may not be. Greenwashing efforts and marketing tactics can take many faces and come from any industry, but more likely than not they are being utilized to deceive consumers

Fight against Greenwashing

Greenwashing initiatives have picked up in the last decade, as the world and its people grow more conscious of the negative effects that carbon emissions and other climate-related risks pose on our Earth. Federal agencies, such as the SEC and some of its green task forces, have not only been at the forefront of fighting climate deterioration but as of late have also been combating misleading greenwashing claims from industry giants. And though many regulations are in place to prevent or to mitigate the effects that a company’s manufacturing or shipping practices can place on our climate, many of these companies continue to promote green initiatives and sustainability claims that may hold zero merit.

Shub & Johns LLC stands by consumers wishing for a greener world and for a business model that does not intend to deceive its consumers with greenwash marketing and other deceptive advertising tactics. If you feel deceived by a company’s green marketing or suspect a company of deceptively promoting potentially fictitious or misleading green initiatives, let us know! Fill out the attached form and join the Shub & Johns investigation today!