I spent a great day at Eco-Build last week. It is so much better than the last time I went ( 2 years ago) and what’s more you get in FREE!
This year they had full support from the UKGBC who had a fantastic range of speakers from Michael Portillo to Margaret Beckett and Germaine Greer ( yes Germaine was talking about green housing). Excellent.
Of course I was there to meet colleagues and to sell Planet Positive. As this was an eco event my sales pitch was easy ‘Could you give me a details of the carbon footprint of your fantastic product’; The responses were varied and somewhat surprising. Not one company could give me any data, some said they were doing it and most said ‘we do not know’!
I was both heartened and dismayed by this. Heartened by the business prospects opening up in front of me, but dismayed by the fact that so few supposed eco-companies actually had the facts to back their claims up. I find this worrying. It;s all very well SAYING that you are green, but if you can’t prove it with facts, then I am sorry to say it, but you are talking GREENWASH!
Guy Battle
8th March 2009
ps If you want to get more information on carbon footprinting get in touch! info@planet-positive.org !!
To a great fan fare and stirring drum roll Greenpeace announced yesterday their 2008 Award for Greenwash which goes to BP for their PR campaign in ‘Mixed energy’. I have shown the link below. It’s worth the time to look at it as it is embarrassingly funny and you can be sure will not have gone down well at board level.
Greenpeace Emerald PaintBrush Award
BUT, should BP be singled out as the worst offender, and did they take into account all the good that BP has done with its ’carbon footrpint’ campaign. Also was there any real shortlist drawn up by Greenpeace and if so can we see it?
I must admit this video smacks of ‘judge and jury’ and whilst it is funny, it does not seem right that BP should get all the rotten eggs thrown at them alone when there are so many other worthy recipients.
Next year may I suggest that Greenpeace run on-line nomination to reach a shortlist, which they publish and then have an on-line vote to get the worst offender.
Now that would be fun and I can think of a few names already that I would feature…
Virgin Fuels - All his profits?
EXXON - suddenly they care?
GB
30th December 2008
ps Image co. Start Up Nation who will help you avoid the greenwash! article entitled ‘How to Avoid Greenwashing in Your Marketing Efforts’
