While greenwashing has become a particularly popular term in the arena of sustainability and CSR communications and product labeling, a few new terms have just entered the market: greenblushing and greenbashing.
None of these absurd-sounding neologisms are good if you are on the receiving end, and here’s why:
- Greenwashing:
- Creator: Jay Westerveld, New York environmentalist
- Date of first publication: 1986
- Definition: “The practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly.”
- Greenblushing:
- Creator: Gregg LaBar, Senior VP of Dix & Eaton
- Date of first publication: Oct. 26, 2009
- Definition: “Limited or no information disseminated by an organization so as to understate or ignore its commitment to and actions on environmental responsibility.”
- Greenbashing:
- Creator: Shari Shapiro, Associate for Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel
- Date of first publication: August 5, 2009
- Definition: “The use of seemingly reasonable arguments about catastrophic costs or unforeseen dangers to undermine progressive environmental programs.”
The overarching lesson here is that honest and transparent communication about your impacts on the environment, society and economy is increasingly important because people care, and they’re paying attention now more than ever before.
More sustainability indices, rankings, regulations, associations and other tools are popping up every year to help the public make informed decisions about where to shop, invest and trust – making the business case for sustainability, and transparent sustainability communications, a strong one.
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