Tackling greenwashing across Europe

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about making environmentally-friendly decisions - giving companies a strong financial incentive to be (or just to appear to be) sustainable and socially conscious. While ‘green’ advertising and PR strategies have picked up pace, most major polluters have not significantly altered their core products and services in response to the climate crisis, creating a large discrepancy between high-spirited declarations about sustainable products and services and real action to reduce emissions. This has created a surge in greenwashing among some of the top polluting companies in the world.

ClientEarth is using the power of law to challenge green- washing, so that corporate advertising does not mislead the public or investors about a company’s impact on the environment. It does this by combining direct legal interventions (e.g., targeted litigation against companies responsible for greenwashing) with strategic communications, advocacy, and campaigns that explain greenwashing to the public and stakeholders. With support from KR Foundation, ClientEarth will carry out this work in a number of countries over the next two years.