Greenwashing the Oil and Gas industry.

Posted by Stacy Richter on August 5 at 5:15 PM I was reading the summer edition of the Oil and Gas Magazine (which I recommend if you’re in the industry) and something caught my attention. I came across an advertorial for a product claiming a certain level of green product certification from a third party institute. I don’t have a quarrel with either organization (but both will remain nameless) save one; the level of greenwashing in the advert is misleading.

I should back track a bit and discuss ‘greenwashing’ first.  According to the Green Washing Index, greenwashing is “when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact.”  Think of the old term ‘whitewashing’ with an environmental brush.

The problem this creates is that the audience has become numb to the impact in properly crafted messages because of the onslaught of inappropriate green messaging. In the study “Six Sins of Greenwashing”, one of the sins is the “sin of vagueness” (1). Intentionally or unintentionally, claims may lack enough information for consumers to form an accurate opinion and be misleading. ‘Non-toxic’, ‘All Natural’, and ‘Green’ are all terms we’ve read or heard in advertisements
Getting back to this advertorial I read. The advertorial clearly is touting the environmental impacts and commits the sin of vagueness by using terms like “earth-friendly”, “human-safe” and “energy-saving”. What do these really mean anyway?

The advertorial also refers to the third party certification it holds; even displaying a prominent logo. I found out that the third party organization providing the certification specializes in an industry other than oil and gas and, at least in my mind anyway, was a big stretch to draw the parallels.

I would like to believe that this company has a good product and provides significant value to its customers. I would also like to believe that the third party certification firm has legitimacy in its circles. Green washing efforts like the one I observed dilute the effect of marketing truly environmental and sustainable companies.

I urge you to be more aware of green advertising claims and ask questions. Are these claims part of legitimate environmental marketing or are these claims attempts at capitalizing on environmental trends without providing ecological benefit?

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(1) Remus, Paul C. & Vicko, Ryan. (2008). How to steer clear of greenwashing.. New Hampshire   
           Business Review,  30(22), 40. Retrieved August 5, 2009, from Regional Business News
           database.


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