A 3-Step Guide to Spotting Greenwashing for Consumers

How to make sure you are not tricked when you are trying to make a better choice.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

You go shopping. Enter the store, turn left, and head to the aisle with your desired products. You start reviewing the available selection and remember that you were planning to cut your environmental footprint. You give yourself a nudge to make a slightly better choice. Several brands boast the term eco-friendly, others shout green, and others still claim they are nature’s friend. You also see some recycled material percentages on certain labels. How do you choose?

You are excused from not having a straightforward recipe. The information regarding the sustainability of products available to consumers at the shelf is often vague, scarce, and misleading. Brands have the difficult task of balancing transparency and engaging language, scientific terminology and user-friendly explanations, detailed info and limited space. Upcoming regulations attempt to bring more guidance and rules, and thus clarity and transparency.

Yet, we still have plenty of methods available to distinguish genuine claims from greenwashing claims and thus choose the product that best matches our intent. Once you clarify this intent, you can start a quick evaluation of the product with only the information you have available at the shelf: the claims and labels, the ingredients and materials, and the competitors’ offerings.

Start from your intention

First, if you can, it’s good practice to clarify what environmental feature of a product is most important to you. In that specific product category and industry, is the packaging material a big problem? Or is it the way the product is manufactured in the supply chain? Can the product come from unsustainable sources or materials?

Usually, you’d expect manufacturers to have already considered the most important issues when improving the environmental footprint of their products, but that’s not always the case.

Then again, it is also a matter of the issues we mostly care about as consumers. We are not used to thinking in carbon emission equivalents, and some experts don’t even think we should. Certain people may be more concerned with plastic pollution, while others find animal farming unacceptable. And it’s alright to pick our battles.

3 steps to spot greenwashing

Greenwashing is a practice whereby organizations convey an incorrect impression or misleading information about their products and/or activities. It happens when companies try to emphasize a sustainable aspect of their product without giving the whole context or being accurate and transparent. Here is how you can stay away from greenwashed products when shopping.

1. Check the claims and labels

Sure, you’ve just read a catch slogan, and it made you feel better about that potential product. But how do you know whether there is any substance behind the claim? Here are three red flags to consider as you closely examine the product:

  • Does it use vague or ambiguous language? Beware of terms like “natural,” “eco-friendly,” or “green” without certifications and specific explanations. Genuine eco-conscious products should provide detailed information about their sustainable attributes: reducing emissions, offering 100% or predominantly natural ingredients and no toxic ones, replacing previously unrecyclable materials with recyclable ones, reducing packaging, and so on.
  • Does it lack (credible) certifications? See if the product displays any eco-labels and if these sound familiar to you. Authoritative certifications include Organic, Better Cotton Initiative, Cradle to Cradle Certified, Fair Trade, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). A certified product is preferred because it has already undergone third-party verifications that ensure (in theory) that the product has met specific environmental standards.
  • Do claims sound unrealistic or exaggerated? If the product promises extraordinary environmental benefits or absolute claims (100% sustainable) without providing any evidence or even contradicting itself elsewhere, put it down. While remarkable results are possible, companies should sustantiate them with proof; otherwise, sustainability is (currently) a journey with intermediary milestones.

2. Check materials and ingredients

Checking the ingredients and materials used in the making of a product and its packaging is a great way to verify claims made in the messaging.

One thing to look for is transparency. Are brands being transparent about their supply chains and manufacturing processes? Do they mention the different supply sources, materials, and production methods involved? The less information is available, the less trustworthy an environmental claim becomes.

If the company discloses a material as eco-friendly, they should accompany the claim with explanations. For instance, if the tag says biodegradable, it should further explain that it can degrade naturally in soil or water, over a certain period. If the product is marketed as “biodegradable”, but then it adds “industrially compostable”, the tag is misleading. You shouldn’t throw away the product with organic foods.

If you come across unfamiliar terms in the ingredient and material lists, it’s better to do a quick online research: after all, you’d better know what you put in your stomach or on your sink and how it can affect you. Greenwashing may involve masking harmful substances behind eco-friendly-sounding names.

3. Check competitors’ products

If you are not convinced, take a closer look at two or three brand offerings. Compare the claims and the way they disclose information. The more information you have available, the more you can understand what is the industry norm, and, thus, how to judge an environmental claim.

Bonus: Check the company’s track record

In time, you should become accustomed to some big brand names’ track records, from news, reports, and independent rankings and assessments. This will be highly useful when you try to determine the credibility and commitment of the company.

The future looks brighter for consumers, with QR codes, blockchain traceability, and other innovations promising a quick overview of a company’s overall value chain impact – directly at the shelf. For now, we must take a few extra steps as we navigate the mined field of sustainability claims.

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What’s Inside the New Green Claims Directive and How It Fights Greenwashing

The EU recently unveiled an ambitious Green Claims Directive to protect consumers.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

To address surging greenwashing concerns and protect consumers, as well as the green transition agenda, the European Commission recently proposed the Green Claims Directive.

The claim would apply to most EU-based organizations that voluntarily make environmental claims, except for microenterprises (under ten employees and with a turnover lower than 2 million euros) and financial services companies with separate rules.

To meet the new rules described below, companies will likely need a robust sustainability communications strategy and data management. This may require additional resources, new capabilities and technologies, and operating model and team structure changes. However, companies will likely benefit from more robust sustainability communications by preventing reputational and litigation risks and increasing customer trust and loyalty.

Greenwashing is a fast way to erode trust

Around the world, more than half (60 per cent) of citizens say they do not trust climate communication, according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. The growing amount of greenwashing signalled by communication regulators, activists, and consumers may be at play. The EU identified that 53% of green claims “give vague, misleading, or unfounded information” and that 50% of green labels “offer weak or non-existent verification”.

Greenwashing refers to communications falsely portraying a company’s products, services, and projects as environmentally friendly to reap benefits from this positioning in the market. It can take various forms, depending on the communication means.

In addition to previous measures under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the new proposal adds four new practices associated with greenwashing:

  • Using a sustainability label that is not based on a certification scheme or not established by public authorities;
  • Making a generic environmental claim without demonstrating recognized excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim;
  • Extending the environmental claim to the entire product if it concerns only a particular aspect of the product;
  • Presenting requirements imposed by law as a distinctive feature of the organization’s offer.

Greenwashing is a lose-lose-lose tactic. By confusing and eroding trust with consumers, as well as facing upcoming regulatory charges, greenwashing can ultimately damage organizations. In addition, it diminishes the efforts of consumers to make more responsible decisions towards the environment. Finally, it sabotages investors’ attempts to support, fund, and participate in the long-term success of more sustainable companies.

As a note, the reverse is also true. When they do not communicate sustainability efforts at all due to a fear of repercussions, organizations are engaging in greenwashing. In turn, greenwashing risks reducing the information available for consumers and investors to pinpoint sustainable products and companies.

Companies should still communicate sustainability efforts, regardless of their point in the journey – but they need to follow some steps:

  • Know their audiences well;
  • Pressure test with third parties to ensure that both storytelling and technical elements are meaningful;
  • Make sure claims are transparent, science-based, and verifiable.

The Green Claims Directive aims to transform corporate sustainability communications

The new law on green claims takes action to address greenwashing, protect consumers, and help create a level playing field for environmental products and services.

The proposed Directive focuses on the central issues identified by the Commission regarding environmental communications: misleading, unfounded, or unsupported claims, unverified labels, and the lack of transparency. This proposal complements and further operationalizes the Directive on empowering consumers in the green transition, which we discussed in a previous article.

One key goal is to ensure environmental claims about the company and its products, which are voluntary and not currently covered by other EU rules, are reliable, comparable, and verifiable.

Consider claims such as “packaging made of 70% recycled plastic” or “have reduced the company’s environmental footprint by 20% since 2015”. Nothing is wrong with these statements, but according to the proposal, they must be substantiated, i.e. accompanied by supporting scientific evidence.

To that end, the company must do a complete assessment of the claim, which includes the following:

  • Ensure the claim relies on recognized scientific evidence;
  • Demonstrate the importance and extent of impacts, aspects and performance from a life-cycle perspective;
  • Demonstrate that the claim is not equivalent to requirements imposed by law;
  • Provide information on whether the product performs environmentally significantly better than what is common practice;
  • Make sure that there are no hidden trade-offs resulting in negative environmental impact elsewhere;
  • Require that greenhouse gas offsets be reported transparently;
  • Include accurate primary or secondary information.

In this way, regulators hope to prevent the use of generic claims such as “eco-friendly”, “climate neutral”, “green”, or “net zero” without any evidence.

The Directive also specifies new rules for sustainability labels by banning self-certifications and providing additional safeguards to improve the quality of ecolabelling schemes. As such, it requires label schemes to have the following:

  • Transparency and accessibility of information on ownership, decision-making body, and objectives,
  • Criteria developed by experts and reviewed by stakeholders; 
  • A complaint and resolution mechanism; 
  • Procedures for dealing with non-compliance and the possibility of withdrawal or suspension of labelling in case of persistent and flagrant non-compliance.

You can read the New Green Claims Directive in its entirety here.

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Tony’s Chocolonely Sets a Blueprint for Impact Companies with New Legal Structure

Three Mission Guardians are appointed to watch over Tony’s Mission.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

The chocolate industry in which Tony’s Chocolonely operates is one historically riddled with human rights and labor rights abuses. When Tony launched, it made it its mission to break the chains of child labor and slavery in the cocoa supply chain. Recently, they made one further step towards preserving this mission for the foreseeable future.

Through a brand-new governing structure, Tony’s Mission Lock, the company aims to safeguard its purpose. As long as the company exists, the mission, core values, and the 5 Sourcing Principles will not be amended without approval from the new governing structure.

Tony’s Mission Lock will be represented by three Mission Guardians, with strong track records in social impact and sustainability:

“I’ve learnt from my own experience that — even when we create companies with the highest aspirations in mission — times change, people change, new people come in, and organisations change, too. So, historically, no mission is guaranteed. I hope we can serve as advocates for all people and communities around the world that are served and supported by Tony’s 5 Sourcing Principles. Like anything new and unproven, we will learn along the way. But I also hope our approach can become a model for other purpose-driven brands,” says Seth Goldman in the press release.

Setting an example for impact companies

Tony’s Chocolonely has been making chocolate with a mission since 2005. They have since obtained B Corp and Fairtrade certifications and have developed an internal set of sustainable sourcing principles.

The brand sets an example by establishing direct, long-term relationships with cocoa farmers in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, paying them higher prices, and collaborating to tackle the root causes of modern slavery and child labor. Their 5 Sourcing Principles provide tangible solutions to the complex issue of poverty in cocoa production:

  1. Sourcing fully traceable beans
  2. Paying farmers a fair income
  3. Supporting and empowering farmers through cooperative partnerships
  4. Committing to long-term relationships
  5. Providing training to enhance farmers’ productivity and agricultural knowledge.

To enhance collaboration and accountability, Tony’s has granted its three Mission Guardians access to a set of tools to be utilised when they suspect a significant breach of the company’s mission-related responsibilities. Anyone can anonymously report such concerns to the Mission Guardians via contact@tonysmissionlock.org.

In cases where these issues remain unresolved, the Mission Guardians have the authority to escalate their concerns publicly. They can publish their concerns in Tony’s annual FAIR report, place full-page newspaper advertisements in major markets where Tony’s operates, and ultimately, refer the matter for legal investigation and arbitration at the Enterprise Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam.

Tony hopes that this innovative approach will inspire other impact brands to adopt similar measures and embed their impact models at the core of their business permanently and independently of their shareholder structure. To support this, Tony will make the full details of Tony’s Mission Lock’s structure available as an open-source resource.

The formation document for the structure is officially signed by Lamont and the Mission Guardians during Tony’s FAIR event in Amsterdam on June 8, 2023. They will engage in a live Q&A session to discuss the significance of this evolution of a Mission Lock, both for Tony’s and other impact companies.

Photo credit: Tony’s Facebook Page

Parlamentul UE adoptă amendamente la Directiva privind  Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence

Companiile vor fi trase la răspundere pentru încălcările drepturilor omului și a mediului în cadrul lanțurilor lor valorice.

Autor: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

La 1 iunie, parlamentarii UE au adoptat o poziție comună cu privire la amendamentele propuse la directiva de due diligence privind sustenabilitatea corporativă (CSDDD). În consecință, companiile vor fi trase la răspundere pentru încălcările drepturilor omului și a mediului în cadrul lanțurilor lor valorice.

În ciuda respingerii din ultimul moment, o majoritate a deputaților europeni au votat susținerea raportului care subliniază poziția Parlamentului European cu privire la noile reguli. Acum, după ce propunerea a fost aprobată, vor începe negocierile cu Consiliul UE și statele membre. Aceste negocieri au loc după ce poziția comună a fost convenită de statele membre în decembrie 2022.

Extinderea due diligence pentru companii

Directiva impune companiilor mari care operează în UE obligații de a efectua due diligence și de a aborda impactul negativ asupra drepturilor omului și a mediului. Acestea includ probleme precum poluarea, pierderea biodiversității, degradarea mediului, exploatarea prin muncă, sclavia și munca copiilor. Entitățile acoperite sunt obligate să elaboreze planuri de tranziție climatică care să se alinieze cu obiectivele Acordului de la Paris de a limita încălzirea globală la 1,5°C peste nivelurile preindustriale.

Regulile propuse extind domeniul de aplicare al obligațiilor de due diligence ale companiilor dincolo de propriile operațiuni pentru a include lanțurile lor valorice, cuprinzând furnizorii și entitățile implicate în vânzări, distribuție sau transport. Companiile trebuie să ia măsuri pentru a atenua orice impact negativ care rezultă din relațiile lanțului valoric, cum ar fi modificarea modelelor de afaceri, oferirea de sprijin entităților mici și mijlocii (IMM-uri) din lanțul valoric sau căutarea de asigurări contractuale de la parteneri.

Modificările extind, de asemenea, categoriile de entități acoperite dincolo de propunerea inițială a Comisiei Europene. Acestea includ companiile din UE cu peste 250 de angajați și un venit anual global de cel puțin 40 de milioane de euro, companiile-mamă cu peste 500 de angajați și un venit anual global de cel puțin 150 de milioane de euro sau companiile din afara UE cu un venit anual net de 150 de milioane de dolari, dintre care cel puțin 40 de milioane de euro generate în UE.

Regulile introduc, de asemenea, cerințe pentru ca directorii să pună în aplicare planuri de tranziție personalizate, aliniind companiile cu Acordul de la Paris. În special, companiile mai mari, cu o medie de peste 1.000 de angajați, sunt de așteptat să aibă politici în vigoare pentru a lega o parte din remunerația variabilă a directorilor de atingerea obiectivelor companiei din planul de tranziție la schimbările climatice.

Conform propunerii, entitățile vizate trebuie să comunice cu părțile interesate cheie, să monitorizeze eficacitatea programelor și politicilor lor de due diligence și să stabilească un mecanism de plângeri pentru părțile interesate în cauză.

Pentru companiile care încalcă cerințele urmează să fie aplicate diverse sancțiuni, cum ar fi public naming and shaming, scoaterea de bunuri de pe piață sau amenzi de cel puțin 5% din veniturile totale pentru companiile din UE. Nerespectarea regulilor poate expune companiile la litigii, iar companiile din afara UE s-ar putea confrunta cu interzicerea achizițiilor publice în UE.

Dacă vor fi adoptate, noile obligații conform modificărilor ar intra în vigoare în trei sau patru ani, în funcție de dimensiunea companiei.

Un vot de tip rollercoaster

Amendamentele au primit 366 de voturi pentru, 225 împotrivă și 38 de abțineri.

Adoptarea a urmat negocierilor intense și opoziției mai multor europarlamentari, în primul rând din partea grupului EPP de centru-dreapta, care și-au exprimat îngrijorarea cu privire la aspecte cheie ale textului. Deputații europeni au încercat să reducă obligațiile de due diligence în materie de climă, să aducă o mai mare armonizare și să îndepărteze din lege obligațiile directorilor corporativi.

În timp ce majoritatea modificărilor propuse au fost respinse, grupul a reușit să elimine din proiectul de lege responsabilitățile directorilor în stabilirea și supravegherea obligațiilor de due diligence. Adoptarea acestui amendament a fost considerată nefericită de mulți deputați europeni și susținători CSDDD, deoarece ei consideră că directorii corporativi si consiliile ar trebui să joace un rol crucial în asigurarea respectării legii.

Negocieri viitoare

In negocieri, se anticipează o ciocnire cu statele membre care se opun ferm remunerării directorilor de obligațiile de due diligence în poziția lor de negociere. Negocierile tripartite viitoare vor aborda probabil această problemă, împreună cu alte puncte critice.

Se așteaptă ca sistemul financiar să fie un punct important de controversă, întrucât Parlamentul a votat în favoarea verificărilor obligatorii de due diligence pentru serviciile și instituțiile financiare, în timp ce statele membre preferă să le lase ca opționale.

Negocierile se vor concentra, de asemenea, pe domeniul de aplicare al directivei și pe măsura în care noile reguli acoperă lanțul valoric. Statele membre au adoptat o definiție restrânsă a „lanțului de activități”, în timp ce Parlamentul a susținut aplicarea regulilor de due diligence nu numai lanțului de aprovizionare, ci și vânzării, distribuției, transportului, depozitării și gestionării deșeurilor de produse și servicii.

În comparație cu poziția statelor membre, Parlamentul a votat pentru aplicarea legii unui număr mai mare de companii, începând cu cele care angajează peste 250 de persoane și generează o cifră de afaceri de peste 40 de milioane de euro în Europa și 150 de milioane de euro la nivel mondial.

Negocierile au început sub președinția suedeză a Consiliului UE și vor continua sub președinția spaniolă. Obiectivul este adoptarea oficială a legii înainte de următoarele alegeri europene, programate pentru anul viitor.

Surse: https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eu-parliament-agrees-common-position-on-corporate-due-diligence-law/

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Inside EU’s Proposal to Further Regulate ESG Ratings

New regulations for ESG rating providers could cause significant restructuring in the industry.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

In the last few years, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating providers have multiplied in an attempt to signal sustainability efforts and results to company stakeholders. Yet critics argue that most methodologies are often too opaque and complex. In addition, they tend to favour companies that disclose more information rather than those that manage ESG risks best. These drawbacks limit the potential positive of ESG ratings to incentivise more sustainable investment.

To tackle these concerns and aid investors looking for more useful and reliable information while also tackling greenwashing, EU authorities have introduced new regulations for ESG rating providers as part of a sustainable finance package.

These regulations have the potential to cause significant restructuring within the industry. Major players in the market, such as S&P Global, Moody’s, MSCI, and Morningstar’s Sustainalytics offer ESG ratings that influence trillions of dollars in investment decisions.

Under the proposed legislation, ESG rating providers would be prohibited from offering consulting services to investors, selling credit ratings, developing benchmarks, and engaging in other activities that could result in conflicts of interest. Agencies will thus have to separate these various business functions.

ESG rating providers will also be required to obtain authorization and be supervised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Failure to comply with the new rules could lead to fines of up to 10% of their annual net turnover.

The package of measures aimed to boost sustainable finance also contains a new set of EU Taxonomy criteria for economic activities that make a substantial contribution to one or more of the non-climate environmental objectives. These objectives include the sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, the transition to a circular economy, pollution prevention and control, and the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.

To support companies and the financial sector in the implementation of the EU Taxonomy and sustainable finance framework, the European Commission is also publishing the EU Taxonomy User Guide, a guidance document on the Taxonomy for non-experts.

You can find out more details in this Press Release: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_3192

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Curious About Your Carbon Footprint? Here’s How You Can Calculate

Discover key platforms and apps that can give you insight into your individual carbon emissions

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

To start addressing our environmental footprint as a society, we need to include the individual level. By understanding the toll of our day-to-day lifestyle on the planet, we can begin to grasp the importance of our decisions when presented with several options for home ownership, transportation, travelling, or grocery shopping. A big component of our environmental footprint that is under public scrutiny today is carbon emissions.

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is a measure of the total carbon dioxide emissions generated by an individual, organization, or product throughout its lifecycle. By calculating our individual carbon footprint, we can gain valuable insights into our impact on the environment and can begin to take meaningful steps towards improving.

Luckily, consumers have a wide range of tools at their disposal to calculate their carbon footprints as part of their sustainability journey.

How can you calculate your carbon footprint?

To assist individuals with reliable data about carbon footprints, more and more organizations, from NGOs to startups, are launching carbon footprint online calculators and mobile apps. Below we will be guiding you through a selection of such calculators that have gained popularity due to their accessibility and user-friendly interfaces.

All these tools enable individuals to estimate their carbon emissions based on various factors such as energy usage, transportation, food consumption, and lifestyle choices. Some of them leverage smartphone capabilities for data monitoring to provide real-time data and personalized recommendations.

Carbon Footprint

What it measures: emissions from housing, transportation, groceries, electronics, furniture, banking and finance, recreational activities, and education

Carbon Footprint offers a free, comprehensive calculator for individuals that covers a wide range of emission sources. It is also one of the few calculators with personalized results depending on your location. To get insights into your household’s footprint, be prepared to offer detailed information, such as the amount of electricity and natural gas you consume in a given period. For transportation, you’ll need to specify the destinations of your flights, the mileage and efficiency of your car, or the distance you commuted for with a public transportation method. The app also takes into account your spending in different categories to calculate your secondary carbon footprint.

Giki

What it measures: emissions from transportation, food, home, other purchases, and services

Giki offers a user-friendly tool based on a questionnaire that helps you estimate your individual carbon footprint. It delves into areas such as the size and type of your housing, what transportation methods you use, what type of diet you have, and what other purchases you make on a yearly basis. As a next step after calculating your footprint, Giki suggests looking for your company’s sustainability plan on their website (they also have a service for companies), joining a beach clean, or making a carbon-cutting suggestion and sharing it with your team.

WWF Footprint Calculator

What it measures: emissions from housing, energy efficiency measures, household items, transportation, travelling, grocery shopping, clothing purchases, and pet care spending

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s calculator is, in fact, a questionnaire, inquiring about your food, travel, home, and other shopping habits in order to estimate your ecological footprint. The catch is this one is tailored to the UK, but it can still offer a decent estimate for similar countries. The result is an annual total footprint, a comparison with the average for the year in the UK and worldwide, and a breakdown by key categories.

CoolClimate Network

What it measures: emissions from travelling, home, food, and shopping

CoolClimate Network provides a quick carbon footprint estimate for those residing in the US. It takes into account some basic information such as the city, the number of people in your household, and the gross annual household income to generate estimates of your footprint. You can further refine these estimates by adding information about using personal cars, air travel, and public transit; your electricity, natural gas, and oil consumption; your diet, and your shopping habits. As an output, it breaks your total estimated footprint by categories and compares it to an average.

JouleBug

What it measures: savings in carbon emissions, water use, and waste by changing daily habits around the house, energy use, shopping, and transportation

JouleBug is a gamified app that helps companies educate and encourage their employees to adopt eco-friendly behaviours. By completing challenges and tracking their progress, individuals can understand the environmental impact of their choices, including carbon emissions. In turn, companies can track individual, team, and company environmental impacts for CO2, as well as water and waste. Examples of such actions include airing out the house to give A/C’s a rest, drying clothes on a rack instead of a dryer, taking a shorter shower, or composting your food waste.

Calculating your carbon footprint is one of the first steps you can take towards a more sustainable lifestyle. By utilising online calculators and mobile apps, individuals can gain valuable insights into their emissions and identify areas for improvement.

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Certificarea Cradle to Cradle: Cum îți poate ajuta compania cu practici de sustenabilitate

Află despre abordarea din spatele Cradle to Cradle Certified® și cum îți poate ajuta organizația.

Autor: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

Într-o eră de creștere a conștientizării impactului nostru colectiv asupra mediului, companiile iau măsuri proactive pentru a integra sustenabilitatea în operațiunile lor. O astfel de inițiativă care crește în popularitate este Cradle to Cradle Certified®, oferită de Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute, cu sediul în Olanda. Până în prezent, peste 34.000 de produse au obținut această certificare.

În acest articol, analizăm de aproape certificarea Cradle to Cradle, vizitându-i originile, notând principalele beneficii și detaliand procesul de aplicare.

Ce este certificarea Cradle to Cradle?

Institutul din spatele Cradle to Cradle Certified a fost fondat în 2012, de către arhitectul și academicianul american William McDonough și chimistul și ecologistul german Michael Braungart. Cei doi au colaborat, de asemenea, la cartea omonimă, care a devenit o lectură esențială pentru oricine dorește să înțeleagă abordarea economiei circulare.

În cartea lor vizionară, autorii explică de ce actualul model economic „cradle to grave” nu este durabil și propun o abordare inspirată din natură, în care deșeurile devin hrană și fiecare material reintră în siguranță în mediu în loc să provoace deșeuri.

Standardul Cradle to Cradle are în centru aceste principii și își propune să susțină și să promoveze materialele și produsele care au o amprentă mai bună asupra planetei. Produsele sunt evaluate prin cinci unghiuri cheie: sănătatea materialului, aerul curat și protecția climei, administrarea apei și a solului, circularitatea produsului și echitatea socială. Altfel spus, își propune să încurajeze siguranța, circularitatea și responsabilitatea în modul în care folosim materialele și proiectăm produsele.

Exemple de companii și organizații cu certificări Cradle to Cradle includ producătorul de mobilă Herman Miller, companiile de modă C&A și G-Star RAW și producătorul de sticle Dopper.

De ce să devii certificat de Cradle to Cradle?

Modul în care proiectăm produsele le va defini în mare măsură amprenta socio-ecologică de la începutul și până la sfârșitul vieții. Să luăm o clădire ca exemplu. Între 39%-80% din amprenta totală de carbon rezultă din carbonul încorporat în materialele de construcție. Cu toate acestea, dacă este evaluat la începutul etapei de proiectare, 80% din acest carbon încorporat poate fi redus. Acest lucru pune o presiune mare asupra deciziilor luate în faza de proiectare, dar oferă și o oportunitate pentru companii de a controla mai bine produsele pe care le creează.

Certificarea Cradle to Cradle, prin promovarea practicilor de mediu, poate ajuta companiile să atenueze potențialele impacturi negative care ar urma să reacționeze ulterior prin taxe de reglementare sau cote de piață pierdute pe o piață din ce în ce mai conștientă de mediu.

În schimb, poate îmbunătăți reputația mărcii, poate construi încrederea și loialitatea consumatorilor și poate aborda în mod proactiv cerințele viitoare de reglementare.

În cele din urmă, încurajează companiile să inoveze și să își optimizeze produsele și procesele. Acest lucru duce adesea la reducerea deșeurilor și la creșterea eficienței resurselor, ceea ce se traduce și în economii de costuri.

Cum poți obține certificarea?

Pentru a certifica un material sau un produs conform standardului de produs certificat Cradle to Cradle (sau pentru a primi C2C Certified Material Health Certificate™), companiile trebuie să urmeze un proces de evaluare riguros, care este condus de evaluatori terți independenți recunoscuți de Institut.

Iată pașii cheie în procesul de certificare:

Pre-evaluare: Companiile trimit informații despre produs și sunt supuse unei evaluări inițiale pentru a determina dacă produsul este eligibil pentru certificare.

Selectează un organism de evaluare certificat Cradle to Cradle: Companiile trebuie să selecteze dintr-o listă de organisme de evaluare certificate și să dezvolte un plan de certificare care să includă costul, calendarul și resursele necesare.

Trimite cererea: În acest punct, companiile trebuie să semneze un Acord de certificare și să plătească certificarea și taxa anuală de comunitate.

Evaluare: Companiile lucrează cu evaluatorii și lanțurile lor de aprovizionare pentru a colecta date. Apoi, evaluatorii calificați examinează materialele, procesele de fabricație și practicile lanțului de aprovizionare.

Primește certificarea pentru produs: Institutul examinează Raportul Rezumat al Evaluării. Dacă certificarea este acordată, ei vă vor ajuta să vă publicați produsele în Registrul de produse certificate Cradle to Cradle.

Raportează progresul: Companiile trebuie să solicite recertificare la fiecare trei ani.

Cradle to Cradle Certified servește ca un instrument puternic pentru companii pentru a-și alinia operațiunile cu practicile durabile și pentru a-și comunica angajamentele către un grup larg de părți interesate.

Photo Source: Canva

Ce Include Directiva Green Claims a Uniunii Europene și Cum Luptă Împotriva Greenwashing-ului

UE a dezvăluit recent o directivă ambițioasă privind declarațiile ecologice pentru a proteja consumatorii

Autor: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

Pentru a aborda preocupările în creștere privind greenwashing-ul și pentru a proteja consumatorii, precum și agenda de tranziție ecologică, Comisia Europeană a propus recent o Directivă privind declarațiile ecologice.

Aceasta s-ar aplica majorității organizațiilor din UE care fac în mod voluntar declarații de mediu, cu excepția microîntreprinderilor (sub zece angajați și cu o cifră de afaceri mai mică de 2 milioane de euro) și a companiilor de servicii financiare, care au reguli separate.

Pentru a îndeplini noile reguli descrise mai jos, companiile vor avea probabil nevoie de o strategie solidă de comunicare în materie de sustenabilitate și de gestionare a datelor. Acest lucru poate necesita resurse suplimentare, noi capabilități și tehnologii, precum și modificări ale modelului de operare și ale structurii echipei. Cu toate acestea, companiile vor beneficia probabil de pe urma unor comunicări mai robuste privind sustenabilitatea, prin prevenirea riscurilor de reputație și litigiilor, și creșterea încrederii și loialității clienților.

Greenwashing-ul este o modalitate rapidă de a eroda încrederea

În întreaga lume, mai mult de jumătate (60%) dintre cetățeni spun că nu au încredere în comunicarea climatică, conform Barometrului Edelman Trust 2022. Cantitatea tot mai mare de greenwashing semnalată de autoritățile de reglementare, activiști și consumatori ar putea fi o cauză importantă. UE a identificat că 53% dintre afirmațiile ecologice „oferă informații vagi, înșelătoare sau nefondate” și că 50% dintre etichetele verzi „oferă o verificare slabă sau inexistentă”.

Greenwashing se referă la comunicările care prezintă în mod fals produsele, serviciile și proiectele unei companii ca fiind prietenoase cu mediul pentru a obține beneficii din această poziționare pe piață. Poate îmbrăca diferite forme, în funcție de mijloacele de comunicare.

Pe lângă măsurile anterioare în temeiul Directivei privind practicile comerciale neloiale, noua propunere adaugă patru noi practici asociate cu greenwashing:

  • Utilizarea unei etichete de sustenabilitate care nu se bazează pe o schemă de certificare sau nu este stabilită de autoritățile publice;
  • Folosirea unui termen generic fără a demonstra o performanță de mediu excelentă recunoscută, relevantă pentru afirmație;
  • Extinderea comunicării la întregul produs dacă se referă doar la un anumit aspect al produsului;
  • Prezentarea cerințelor impuse de lege ca trăsătură distinctivă a ofertei organizației.

Greenwashing este o tactică de tip “pierde-pierde-pierde”. Confundând și erodând încrederea consumatorilor, precum și confruntându-se cu viitoarele taxe de reglementare, greenwashing poate dăuna organizațiilor. În plus, diminuează eforturile consumatorilor de a lua decizii mai responsabile față de mediu. În cele din urmă, sabotează încercările investitorilor de a sprijini, finanța și participa la succesul pe termen lung al companiilor mai durabile.

Ca o notă, reversul se aplică. Atunci când nu comunică deloc eforturile de sustenabilitate din cauza fricii de repercusiuni, organizațiile riscă să contribuie la greenhushing – adică să reducă informațiile disponibile pentru consumatori și investitori pentru a identifica produsele și companiile sustenabile.

Companiile ar trebui să comunice în continuare eforturile de sustenabilitate, indiferent de punctul lor în călătorie – dar trebuie să urmeze câțiva pași:

  • Să își cunoască bine publicul;
  • Să facă un test de presiune cu terțe părți pentru a se asigura că atât povestea, cât și elementele tehnice sunt semnificative;
  • Să se asigure că afirmațiile sunt transparente, bazate pe știință și verificabile.

Cum își propune Directiva Green Claims să transforme comunicările corporative privind sustenabilitatea

Noua lege privind afirmațiile ecologice ia măsuri pentru a aborda problema greenwashing-ului, a proteja consumatorii și a contribui la crearea unor condiții de concurență echitabile pentru produsele și serviciile de mediu.

Directiva propusă se concentrează pe problemele centrale identificate de Comisie în ceea ce privește comunicările de mediu: afirmații înșelătoare, nefondate sau nesusținute, etichete neverificate și lipsa de transparență. Această propunere completează și operaționalizează în continuare Directiva privind împuternicirea consumatorilor în tranziția ecologică, despre care am discutat într-un articol anterior.

Un obiectiv cheie este acela de a asigura că afirmațiile de mediu despre companie și produsele sale, care sunt voluntare și nu sunt acoperite în prezent de alte norme UE, sunt fiabile, comparabile și verificabile.

Afirmații precum „ambalajele realizate din plastic reciclat în proporție de 70%” sau „au redus amprenta de mediu a companiei cu 20% din 2015” nu sunt greșite, dar, conform propunerii, ele trebuie să fie fundamentate, adică însoțite de dovezi științifice susținătoare.

În acest scop, compania trebuie să facă o evaluare completă a comunicării, care include următoarele:

  • Asigurați-vă că afirmația se bazează pe dovezi științifice recunoscute;
  • Demonstrați importanța și amploarea impacturilor, aspectelor și performanței din perspectiva ciclului de viață;
  • Asigurați-vă că afirmația nu este echivalentă cu cerințele impuse de lege;
  • Furnizați informații cu privire la performanțele semnificativ mai bune din punct de vedere al mediului față de ceea ce este o practică obișnuită;
  • Asigurați-vă că nu există compromisuri ascunse care să aibă ca rezultat un impact negativ asupra mediului în altă parte;
  • Solicitați raportarea compensațiilor de gaze cu efect de seră în mod transparent.

În acest fel, autoritățile de reglementare speră să împiedice utilizarea afirmațiilor generice precum „ecologic”, „neutru climatic”, „verde” sau „net zero”, fără nicio dovadă.

Directiva specifică, de asemenea, noi reguli pentru etichetele de sustenabilitate, interzicând autocertificarea și oferind garanții suplimentare pentru îmbunătățirea calității sistemelor de etichetare ecologică. Ca atare, schemele de etichetare trebuie să respecte următoarele:

  • Transparența și accesibilitatea informațiilor privind proprietatea, organismul decizional și obiectivele;
  • Criterii elaborate de experți și revizuite de părțile interesate;
  • Un mecanism de soluționare a plângerilor;
  • Proceduri de abordare a neconformității și posibilitatea de retragere sau suspendare a etichetării în caz de neconformitate persistentă și flagrantă.

Puteți citi noua Directivă privind comunicările ecologice în întregime aici.

The European Parliament Backs New Rules to Improve Product Sustainability Labelling and Durability

The new rules aim to put a stop to greenwashing and increase opportunities for the circular economy.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

  • Following an increased focus on increasing the quality of sustainability communications and avoiding greenwashing via regulation, The European Parliament backed a draft legislation on improved product labelling and durability.
  • With an overwhelming majority of 544 votes to 18 no’s and 17 abstentions, the plenary approved the proposal for a new directive aimed to aid consumers make more informed choices and support the green transition.
  • The new rules propose the banning of unsubstantiated environmental claims, claims that are based solely on carbon offsetting schemes, and planned obsolescence via product design.

There is growing noise in the market for environmental claims, as companies fight for customer’s attention and loyalty by showcasing eco-conscious appealing features of their products and services. Yet the same effort aimed to differentiate more responsible products is confusing consumers, as terms and labels, lacking external coordination, get mixed up and used erroneously or without necessary explanations. As a consequence, consumer trust in environmental claims is at its lowest.

Following the proposal of a Green Claims Directive by the European Commission in March 2023, the Parliament has recently approved a draft legislation that would pave the way to a new directive.

Two key dimensions stand out: the banning of misleading ads and generic environmental claims, and the fight against early obsolescence.

Putting a stop to misleading ads and unsubstantiated environmental claims

The approved negotiating mandate will see the banning of general environmental claims such as “natural”, “environmentally friendly”, “biodegradable”, “eco”, and even “climate neutral” if these are not substantiated – accompanied by detailed evidence.

Other misleading practices under focus include claims made for the whole product, when in fact it applies to only a part of it, as well as claims that are based solely on carbon offsetting schemes, without any direct reduction in the amount of company-generated CO2 emissions.

To further minimize the amount of information provided on packaging MEPs aim to limit the use of sustainability labels to those based on official certification schemes or established by public authorities.

Helping products last longer in the spirit of the circular economy

Another challenge with current products that favours the excessive consumption of resources and goods, as well as resulting waste, is planned early obsolescence. Under the new legislation, the Parliament wants to ban the introduction of design features that would limit the life of the product or lead to premature malfunctioning.

In addition, it aims to ban producers from limiting a product’s functionality when it is used with consumables, spare parts or accessories made by other companies. Shoppers should be informed of any repair restrictions before making a purchase. MEPs also propose the introduction of a new guarantee label communicating not only the length of the legally required guarantee but also the length of any potential guarantee extensions offered by producers. Companies should therefore be more motivated to focus on prioritizing durability.

Overall, these measures would open even more opportunities for consumers and companies to participate in the circular economy, via reusing, repairing, and refurbishing products. Negotiations between the  Parliament and EU member states on the final content and wording of the directive are expected to start soon after the announcement. The proposed directive is part of the first circular economy packaging.

Yearbook Launch 2023: Sustainability Index Magazine! Sustainability profiles and current status in Romania and CEE

The bilingual yearbook brings to the forefront top performers in sustainability according to Romania CST Index ranking, as well as the latest trends and innovations in corporate sustainability from local and international experts

Bucharest, the 15th of May, 2023

  • The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services agency launches the first edition of the Sustainability Index Magazine, a Romanian-English bilingual yearbook that aims to present the current status of corporate sustainability in Romania.
  • In the magazine, the readers will find the results of the only corporate sustainability index in the country, Romania CST Index, as well as interviews with national and international experts, educational articles, and case studies.
  • The publication aims to promote corporate sustainability as a responsible business management practice, as well as to help companies develop a better performing strategy based on aggregated market information.

Thus, Sustainability Index Magazine follows in the footsteps of Community Index Magazine, the bilingual yearbook that contains the results of the only index of programs and projects carried out by companies in Romania to invest in their communities, launched in 2019.

The publication can be useful not only to professionals in the field, but also to local and multinational companies, investors, universities, PR agencies, and authorities.

The first issue of the magazine is over 120 pages long and is offered free of charge to help raise the level of market know-how. It is offered in digital format, as a flipview, and can be viewed here: https://sustainabilityindex.ro/sustainability-index-magazine-2023/

What will you find inside Sustainability Index Magazine?

The first edition of Sustainability Index Magazine brings to the fore the sustainability profiles of companies that have published sustainability reports for their activity in Romania. The profiles are set up on several coordinates to have a real and clear picture of the companies’ objectives and investments in Romania: the audit of sustainability reports, achieved targets, and future objectives.

The yearbook offers exclusive interviews with experts in the field of corporate sustainability, recognized globally and regionally, such as:

  • Alice Schmidt, Global Sustainability Advisor and Author of “The Sustainability Puzzle”
  • Magdalena Krzysztofik, Head of CEE at Steward Redqueen
  • Simona Stiliyanova, co-founder and Managing Partner at Osnova and ESG and Marketing Director at BlackPeak Capital
  • Arianne Hofstetter, co-founder of Global ESG Monitor

It also features interviews with nationally recognized personalities with extensive experience in management and sustainability strategies, such as:

  • László Borbély, State Councillor, Department for Sustainable Development, Government of Romania
  • Cosmin Ghiță, CEO Nuclearelectrica
  • Ömer Tetik, CEO Banca Transilvania
  • Marco Hößl, CEO Kaufland Romania and the Republic of Moldova
  • Alexandru Stânean, General Director TeraPlast

What is Romania CST Index?

Romania CST Index (Corporate Sustainability & Transparency Index), launched in 2016, is the first ranking in our country dedicated to corporate sustainability. The index identifies the companies with the highest degree of transparency and performance in Romania. For this purpose, it proposes a complex and transparent analysis, aligned with international standards, and constitutes the largest database on the sustainability indicators of companies in the country.

To carry out the analysis, the index uses public data of companies regarding environmental, social and governance aspects. The indicators assessed cover areas such as climate change, sustainable products, labor practices, investment in communities, risk management, responsible marketing or the supply chain, among others.

What are the main objectives of Romania CST Index?

A sustainability index is important because it is a tool for evaluating a company’s performance compared to other players in the industry and in the country. Romania CST Index aims to contribute to increasing the level of transparency regarding sustainability indicators and to recognize the companies with the greatest progress in Romania in addressing the principles and requirements of international standards for corporate sustainability management and reporting.

Thus, Romania CST Index aims to promote corporate sustainability as a responsible business management practice. At the same time, the index can help companies better develop their strategy based on market information.

What are the results of the analysis?

2023 comes with many challenges, but also opportunities for the corporate environment in the EU and implicitly in Romania to integrate sustainability considerations into business decisions. The legislative changes at EU level set ambitious new targets for transparency and ESG performance, but also bring more clarity and coherence.

Romania CST Index analysis indicates a slight increase in the number of companies that publish sustainability reports. We are also seeing progress in setting targets for environmental, social and governance factors, and best practices from industry leaders that point to opportunities for improvement across the sector.

However, the number of companies that publish sustainability reports continues to be reduced, below 10% in 2022 in Romania, out of the total of over 750 companies that have this obligation.

ESG is starting to be integrated in every department of organizations: finance, procurement, HR, or marketing. This change indicates a need to increase the number of trainings on sustainability principles so that all these professionals understand the importance of integrating these principles into their business strategy and practices.

Finally, an important aspect that emerges from the analysis is the need for a data collection and monitoring strategy and infrastructure. The sustainability strategy must include a high number of SMART indicators. Objectives must be measurable, clear and aligned to the industry and specifics of the organization. Analysts and investors need this information to compare various organizations in the same industry and assess who is performing best.

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About the Editor

The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services is a sustainability consulting agency, established in 2013, with the aim of supporting companies in Romania regarding the integration of corporate sustainability in their business strategy. The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services has an approach focused on long-term results, the use of IT technology for a high level of accuracy of sustainability indicators and analysis/research to support decision-makers in companies in defining their corporate sustainability strategy.

The most important and complex project of the agency is Romania CST Index, previously called Romania CSR Index, a ranking launched in 2016 and the only one in Romania that evaluates the sustainability indicators of companies: information on sustainability management,  as well as economic, environmental, and social impact. The index is launched every year during the Best Practices in Corporate Sustainability conference.

In 2019, the agency launched Community Index, the most comprehensive ranking of corporate investment projects in communities and a centralizer of the best CSR campaigns carried out every year by Romanian companies. The results of the ranking, together with case studies and interviews of national and international experts, are presented every year in Community Index Magazine, the only bilingual yearbook dedicated to investments in communities carried out by Romanian companies.