Liar beware

The ACCC has outlined eight principles to help businesses avoid greenwashing.

They were developed after a report found that 57% of companies surveyed had made “concerning” claims.

And in a nice departure from climate related guidelines like this, these are written in regular human speak.

1. Make accurate and truthful claims.
2. Have evidence to back up your claims.
3. Don’t hide or omit important information.
4. Explain any conditions or qualifications on your claims.
5. Avoid broad and unqualified claims.
6. Use clear and easy-to-understand language.
7. Visual elements should not give the wrong impression.
8. Be direct and open about your sustainability transition.

The idea is that businesses can make claims that consumers understand and trust… Points like 3 and 6 reinforce the importance of transparency.

It’s totally, 100% ok to not be hitting a climate goal with 100% perfection…

…but it is not ok to make it seem like you are.

(Headline courtesy of… ok stolen from… Luke Heilbuth’s visualisation in his LinkedIn post today)