What is PayGreen's position on greenwashing? 💚🚿 Why we are convinced that we do not greenwash and the issue is even a great advantage for PayGreen.
In a world where sustainability and "being green" are increasingly important, it's hard to distinguish real environmental improvements from greenwashing. We see it all the time: Companies that coat their core business, which is harmful to the environment, with a thin layer of green marketing. Products that invest more in advertising campaigns than in environmental protection. Or promoting things that are required by law anyway.
In anonymous comments in online newspapers, we are also accused of greenwashing - in my view without understanding our business model.
But why do we think we aren’t greenwashing?
1. clarity in the designation 📗:
We don't simply label someone as "carbon neutral." Instead, we clearly explain what it means when someone partners with PayGreen. For PayGreen Climate Members, it means setting goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and analyzing their emissions with the help of PayGreen. Only with the PayGreen Climate Visionaires or Pioneer label do we recognize online stores that have a reduced carbon footprint.
2. Incentives in our business model 🔬:
Other labels earn money when they label products or companies as environmentally friendly. PayGreen itself has no interest from a financial point of view in awarding the Climate Visionaires/Pioneers label to an online store, because we receive fewer fees. So the incentives at PayGreen are set in such a way that there is no risk of greenwashing and it is a key advantage of PayGreen's business model. We check the stores themselves with random samples.
3. Label certification🔖:
In principle, there is no regulation on the part of the legislator and each company or organization can create its own test or quality seal. At the moment we are working together with the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNF. Last year they had a look at our methodology and made random tests. We are planning to carry out a review here again next year.
What do you think about our arguments? Can PayGreen still run the risk of greenwashing? Should we audit our stores even more rigorously? We want to know what you think.
In general, there are a few clues that can help identify greenwashing. Here are four main questions you can ask yourself if you suspect greenwashing (source: Greenwishing.ch):
1. common sense
2. too much of a good thing
3. see through diversionary tactics
4. lack of evidence
Visit the Greenwishing.ch website for exact details, more useful apps and chatbots to detect greenwashing.
Comments