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Greenwashing and Earth Day<\/h3>\n
Beginning in 1970, Earth Day was conceived in response to a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, to galvanize collective action for environmental protection.<\/p>\n
Having one day to mark an important issue is useful – it creates opportunities for advocates to gather support, for media to amplify coverage of the climate crisis, and for people to reflect on issues that they may not usually have the time or space to.<\/p>\n
But along with meaningful climate action, Earth Day has also become rife with corporate greenwashing. Let’s take a look at how to spot it.<\/p>\n
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climate committments without follow-through<\/h3>\n
Many companies and organizations use high-visibility days like Earth Day to make announcements, like setting net-zero or sustainability targets, new funds for climate action, etc. But sometimes, these announcements come with <\/span>no clear pathway to how they will achieve these goals.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Earth Day can be a valuable opportunity for activists to have their work amplified across diverse platforms to reach wide audiences. However, it is a reality that companies derive <\/span>significant social capital<\/span><\/strong> from proximity to social movements, and it may not always be a fair exchange.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many corporations see Earth Day as a prime opportunity to launch or increase visibility around a new ‘green’ product or initiative, from sustainable fashion lines to new skincare lines to products made from recycled materials.<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, sometimes these ‘green’ products make up a tiny percentage of the company’s overall production cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to Earth Day committments, but recognizing organizations that are walking the walk can help put pressure on those that need to go further. Here are some signs that suggest meaningful corporate action on climate:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Check out the new Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor: <\/span>newclimate.org<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n See how your favourite fashion brands stand up to scrutiny on their climate policies: <\/span>fashion.stand.earth<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.businessnewsdaily.com\/10946-greenwashing.html<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/atmos.earth\/brown-girl-green-eco-influencer-greenwashing<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/90696664\/corporate-climate-commitments-dont-mean-anything-without-accountability<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/npengage.com\/companies\/dont-just-celebrate-advocate-getting-back-down-to-the-roots-of-earth-day-tips-for-csr-professionals<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/acespace.org\/2018\/10\/15\/equity-in-a-time-of-socio-environmental-justice<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nQuestions to ask:<\/span><\/h5>\n
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Tokenization<\/span> of grassroots activists<\/span><\/h3>\n
Questions to ask:<\/span><\/h5>\n
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launching new <\/span>‘green’ <\/span>products<\/span><\/h3>\n
Questions to ask:<\/span><\/h5>\n
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Spotting <\/span>genuine <\/span>corporate action<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Further reading<\/span><\/h3>\n
Sources<\/span><\/h5>\n
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