The five biggest greenwashing traps and how to avoid them

1. confusing data situation and opaque sustainability reports

Data is the basis for a meaningful sustainability report.
This allows you to document and underline your sustainability ambitions.
It is important that it is accurate, complete and audit-proof.
This is because sustainability reports must be checked by an external auditor as part of the CSRD.
It is best to maintain your data clearly in a specialized tool; we have developed the VERSO ESG Hub especially for this purpose.
This makes it easier for you,

• check the data for accuracy,
• interpret the key figures correctly,
• quickly recognize the actual status quo and
• keep track of the development of your company.

This prepares you for active communication free of greenwashing and enables you to answer critical questions confidently and based on data.

2. scope 1, 2, 3 – all included?

When you create a carbon footprint, it is already a major challenge to gather all the relevant data from your own company.
However, it can be even more challenging if you need climate data from other companies for the_{CO2 footprint}.
This is because not only the emissions that a company itself emits have to be taken into account, but also those in the value chain!
Many companies “only” record the emissions in Scope 1 and 2 in their first carbon footprint.
2. This includes, for example, direct emissions from fossil fuels such as gas and heating oil or the company’s own vehicle fleet (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling (Scope 2).
However, to make a statement about your actual greenhouse gas emissions, you also need the information from Scope 3.
3, which includes all upstream and downstream emissions along your company’s value chain (purchased goods or raw materials, business trips and transportation).  

Did you know that the majority of CO2 emissions come from Scope 3?

Recording Scope 3 is much more laborious than just Scope 1 and 2, as you need a lot of data from other companies.
Nevertheless, you should include this area in your reporting as soon as possible.
It helps to engage in dialog with stakeholders and get digital help.
The VERSO Supply Chain Hub gives you an overview of the emissions in your supply chain.
In this way, you avoid the risk of making false statements about your sustainability due to a lack of data.

3. don’t exaggerate, stick to the facts!

A careless word is quickly uttered, the data is no longer fully remembered or superlatives and exaggerated statements are added in all the euphoria.
Many greenwashing accusations have their origins in marketing activities that portray the company in too good a light.
Be careful what you put out there!
Four tips on how to create credible and accurate content:

4. cherry-picking makes you look untrustworthy

Precisely because there are so many examples of greenwashing, stakeholders are scrutinizing a company’s sustainability statements more and more closely.
Companies must communicate transparently so that stakeholders consider their communication on the topic to be credible and effective.
We advise against “cherry picking”, i.e. communicating a few positive results or activities!
A small positive initiative quickly becomes unnaturally inflated.
Holistic approach is the keyword here: talk about the need for action that your organization still has, share your ambitions and goals, communicate the challenges that you still have to overcome as a company.
This will show that your company is not treating sustainability as a one-off project, but is striving for serious and holistically effective changes.

5. activities lack reference to the company or product

The activities you communicate about must be appropriate to your company, its products and its size.
Buying your first e-car out of a fleet of 500 diesel vehicles is more likely to attract criticism than applause.
However, if your activities fit into the corporate context, the seriousness of your ambitions will be comprehensible to external stakeholders.
And: your employees will also identify with it and be enthusiastic about getting involved.
A materiality analysis is helpful here: this allows you to identify the areas in which the company has a high negative or positive impact on the environment and society or which could be relevant from a financial perspective.
The findings can then be used to tackle the issues that really make a difference.

Tips for greenwashing phrases that you should avoid:

There are certain phrases that you know as soon as you read them: There is little or nothing behind them.
The EU Commission and the European Council list a number of such expressions in their proposal for the Green Claims Directive.
Here is a summarized list of greenwashing phrases that you should avoid in your communication:

Afraid of greenwashing? No “green silence” please!

You should no longer be afraid of greenwashing.
What we are observing: Because companies see how easily sustainability communication can become greenwashing and how much this can damage the company, they don’t talk about their activities in the first place.
A domino effect: if no company communicates about sustainability, everyone thinks that the others are doing nothing and therefore does less themselves than they actually could.
This spiral of silence slows down the sustainable transformation of companies and therefore the entire economy.

With this overview, we want to achieve the opposite: We hope to have encouraged you to communicate transparently and effectively about your sustainability strategy and activities.

Avoid greenwashing? VERSO supports you!

If you need support in communicating and preparing your sustainability report, we will be happy to help you: With our ESG software, you can collect all relevant data and report in compliance with CSRD.
We are also on hand to advise you on your journey to sustainable transformation.
At the VERSO Academy, you can also train to become a CSR specialist.

* This information is summarized editorial content and should not be construed as legal advice. VERSO accepts no liability.