Recently, the EDO once again had the opportunity to provide a submission on Greenwashing to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications inquiry, which has reopened from the last term of government.
The submission enabled the EDO to highlight the themes encountered in its work, as well as advocate for increased regulation to prevent greenwashing.
See submission found here, together with the earlier submissions.
In particular, the EDO highlighted its observations of coordinated advertising campaigns by coal and gas companies that highlight their alleged role in “keeping the country running”, providing “energy security”, and “reliable electricity generation including during periods of adverse weather”.
These claims overstate the importance of fossil fuels as an energy source, which may mislead consumers into believing that renewables are unable to provide reliable energy.
The EDO has also detected ongoing issues with the Climate Active program since its earlier submission and complaint[1].
Climate Active is a carbon neutral labelling scheme that is run by the Federal Government, which was reviewed in 2023 to improve its integrity.
Organisations have left the Climate Active program without providing evidence of their emissions reductions up to the date of their withdrawal.
Some organisations that have left the program are also continuing to promote their Climate Active status on their websites.
The EDO is calling on urgent changes to the Climate Active program following the government’s review of the program in 2023.
The EDO’s submission further highlighted ongoing concerns about misleading or deceptive conduct claims relating to carbon offsets, given the inconsistency between the actual impact of carbon credits and the representations about the efficacy of those carbon credits.
Generators of carbon credits are continuing to make misleading claims about the climate benefits of their products, to the detriment of real and necessary emissions reductions efforts.
The EDO has seen a continued increase of nature greenwashing, as illustrated by its recent complaint about Alcoa to Ad Standards.[2]
Ad Standards upheld the complaint, finding that the “overall impression of the advertisement that rehabilitation had been completed to a point where the area would constitute a forest was not supported by evidence provided by the advertiser”.
Our conclusion is that there is a need for further law reform to prevent ongoing misinformation around climate and nature claims.
This is supported by recent comments of the UN Special Rapporteur on promotion and protection of human rights in context of climate change who stated:
“In addition, fossil fuels advertisements have for decades shaped public perceptions by downplaying human rights impacts and emphasizing the role of fossil fuel products in economic growth and modern life.
“Bans on fossil fuel advertising can serve to challenge the taken-for-granted presence of fossil fuel products in our lives, as well as underlying patterns of systemic inequalities, overproduction and overconsumption.”
EDO will continue its work to hold companies undertaking greenwashing to account, both through law reform to better regulate it and action on behalf of our clients.
[1] Australian Government Breaching Consumer Law Following Four Corners – The Australia Institute
[2] Alcoa’s misleading forest rehabilitation claims breached advertising standards – Environmental Defenders Office
