Page 123 - Carbon Capitalism and Communication Confronting Climate Crisis

112 K. SHEEHAN AND B. BREVINI

KS: I sort of agree with this. I would add to “promote the perceptions that
an organization’s practices are more environmentally friendly than they
really are”. Your definition would have any green message as greenwashing,
and that isn’t really true.
An example, and where greenwashing started, is the card in a hotel
room that tells you that not getting clean linens every day is good for the
environment. Yes, it is, but it is better for the hotel because they save
money in labour, water, energy and equipment costs. And the horrible
cleaners they use to clean rooms are horrible for us and the environment.
BB: Can you give us an idea of how big this phenomenon is and how
much it increased in the last decade?
KS: Green advertising has peaks and valleys. When the economy is good,
green advertising increases. When the economy is bad, green advertising
decreases. Clorox has slashed its ad budget for its Greenworks line, and
they aren’t the only company that has done so. Part of the reason why is
the increased government scrutiny into green messages, begun with the
implementation of the newest set of [Federal Trade Commission] Green
Guides.
So I don’t think we’re necessarily seeing an increase in green messages,
or in greenwashing. I think many green messages can be considered
greenwashed.
BB: Do you think that commercial and mainstream media have had a
prominent role in amplifying greenwashing practices?
KS: Not really. I think that there are more investigations on why things
aren’t green than promoting green products that aren’t really green.

THE INDEX
BB: How did the idea of a Greenwashing Index come about? When
was it launched? What are the purposes?
KS: We wanted to provide a place with green advertising could be scru-
tinized and celebrated (when deserved) and not celebrated (when
deserved). We also wanted to be able to understand what consumers want
and need from green messages in order to help inform the development of
the FTC Green guides, which was happening in 2007.