5 rules to avoid greenwashing

At a time when the climate is becoming a voting factor for +80% of French people, companies taking action on their carbon footprint are bound to be tempted to communicate about it.

Whether it's to promote a brand or products/services to customers, or to attract new candidates, climate-related advertisements are multiplying... with varying degrees of success.

Over the past few years, some carbon-related communications have fallen by the wayside. Several companies have experienced this. These communications, intended to promote efforts, have backfired, with the general public accusing them of"greenwashing". Such greenwashing is now prohibited by law(Loi Climat et Résilience).

To avoid this kind of scenario, here's a list of rules to apply every time you communicate on carbon, to avoid incurring the wrath of public opinion.

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1. Banish the term "carbon neutral

As we reminded you in our article on carbon neutrality, this fashionable term should be used with great care in your communications.

The term "carbon neutrality", unfortunately still misused by many companies, is a concept that can only be measured on a global scale, or even by country. It is fundamentally meaningless on a company scale.

It was widely used by companies because of a common misconception:

"If I offset all my emissions, then I'm carbon neutral".

In fact, companies can "contribute" to carbon neutrality, by reducing their emissions, as well as offsetting the resulting emissions with avoided or negative ones.

For example, we prefer to communicate on the Bilan Carbone, emission reductions and offset projects in which the company has invested.

2. Always justify your figures

Are you making a positive announcement about carbon?

Don't forget to prove your facts.

Some companies communicate information on their ecological performance that is sometimes surprising, without justifying it. These announcements most often concern the carbon footprint of a product or service sold by the company.

As carbon calculation data is publicly available, it's fairly easy for an insider to establish orders of magnitude and challenge your figures. If they turn out to be unrealistic, you risk an immediate backlash.

So don't forget to back up your communications with figures as much as possible.

3. Bilan Carbone: Be as transparent as possible about your methodology

You've just done your carbon footprint. Congratulations! It's a great first step.

A few basic rules if you want to communicate your carbon footprint effectively:

List the emission factor bases used.
If you've used a service provider or SaaS solution, don't hesitate to mention it, to lend credibility to your analysis.
Always indicate the methodology used and the scope of the study (Which countries? Which scopes? Are there any elements not taken into account in your carbon footprint, such as customer use of your product, etc.? )
Publish it on the ADEME website and/or make it available on your website.

4. Give priority to communicating your emissions reduction and action plan

Another simple rule to keep in mind:

As carbon sinks are by nature physically limited, carbon offsetting will not be enough to absorb the excess CO2 emitted by human activity.

The best thing you can do as a company is to reduce your emissions. This is where your communication will be most effective.

However, you can be sure that your ad will be scrutinized with a fine-tooth comb, and that people will ask for justifications.

Here's the list of data that should always be provided if you're communicating on the evolution of your carbon footprint:

Evolution of emissions in absolute terms, even if you have already indicated the evolution of your carbon performance (in tCO2e per m€, FTE, etc.).
Indicate which actions have led to this change, and why (Is it the reduction of an emission item? Was it the substitution of an emission item by another, less emissive one? Was it a change of supplier and therefore of emission factor that led to this reduction?)
Finally, provide as many figures as possible, within the limits of confidentiality.

These well-argued communications will show you're serious about the subject and maximize positive spin-offs, especially at a time when the vast majority of such announcements remain vague.

5. Carbon offsetting

Communication on carbon offsetting is probably the most sensitive. A number of companies have abused the offsetting mechanism to absolve themselves of the need to make any real effort on the carbon front.

This type of action, now well known, is immediately sanctioned by the general public.

However, despite its negative image, investing in offsetting remains an effective way of developing carbon sinks.

Be careful, however, to select your projects very carefully and to be accompanied by a reputable player, as absolutely everything can be found in compensation, including scams.

So if you're communicating about your compensation actions, never forget to:

Specifically mention the projects in which you have invested
Give details of the project: In which country? What type of project? Order of magnitude of price per ton? Why did you choose it?
Quote the service provider you worked with and mention the labels/certifications related to the project.
Finally, avoid communicating only about offsetting. Couple it with a communication on the reduction of your emissions or your carbon footprint.

Do you have any other recommendations on carbon emissions communication?

We'd love to hear from you!