What is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when companies try to make themselves seem more environmentally friendly than they are. With Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission’s (FSC) requirements for Taiwan’s corporates to disclose their carbon emissions starting in 2023, how can we ensure they abide by environmental regulations and commit to sustainable development?

Why Companies Greenwash

Greenwashing is the easy way out.

Consumers are increasingly environmentally aware. Companies may use greenwashing to improve their public image and reap financial benefits without making substantial changes to their practices.

Common Greenwashing Tactics

Green but vague language

Using language such as "natural", "organic" or "eco-friendly" without defining these terms. These vague claims are known as "green labelling".

Misleading or false data

By engineering or being selective about the data companies report on their environmental impact, companies may mislead the consumers into thinking their products are more environmentally friendly than they are.

Greenlighting

Greenlighting is when companies shine light on particular green features of a company's product or operations. This diverts consumer attention from the potential environmental malpractices companies are engaging in.

Greenhushing

Greenhushing is when companies deliberating underplay, under-report or hide data on sustainability so as to not capture consumer attention.

Greenrinsing

Companies may modify their ESG targets before publishing their annual reports to make it seem like they have achieved their goals when in fact they have not.

Claiming to be Carbon Neutral

Companies may claim to be carbon neutral through buying carbon offsets, when in reality, still engage in high carbon emitting activities.

Anti-Greenwashing

We believe in the power of civic oversight.

Through media exposure, education, and civic participation, we hold companies accountable for their environmental impact.

Media Exposure

We expose corporate malpractices and share the latest news on greenwashing in Taiwan.

Workshops

We host workshops with leading environmental organizations to raise public awareness of greenwashing and giving participants the tools to hold corporates accountable through civic action.

Hackathon

We are hosting a Hackathon in August 2024 to incubate and launch anti-greenwashing proposals.