EVENT GREENING FORUM

Know your green from your greenwashing

Sustainability is a steadily growing trend in the global events industry, and one which many attendees, hosts and sponsors value. Which means that, as events begin to re-emerge amid relaxed lockdown measures, we’re expecting to see a greater adoption of sustainable event practices.

This is wonderful progress for our industry, which we as the Event Greening Forum (EGF) fully endorse and support. Should you find yourself wanting to make this shift, please visit eventgreening. co.za to access our free resources, sign up for our newsletter and find out about becoming a member.

While we support and encourage authentic attempts at going ‘green’, we are, however, concerned that many companies may skip the hard work of pursuing sustainable business practices and simply make marketing claims that are guilty of greenwashing.

Greenwashing (or adding a ‘green sheen’) is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service, and it can be done out of ignorance or as an intentional deceit. Either way, it needs to be called out so that genuinely green efforts are recognised and rewarded, and that end users aren’t duped.

Brushing up on your greenwashing identification skills will help you to avoid falling for these false marketing claims or accidentally committing them yourself. And the best way to understand them is using what TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. dubbed the ‘Six Sins of Greenwashing™’:

1. The Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off:

Suggesting a product is ‘green’ based on a single environmental attribute or narrow set of attributes, while ignoring other important, or perhaps more important, environmental issues. For example, paper that promotes its recycled content without addressing its manufacturing impacts, including air emissions and water emissions.

2. The Sin of No Proof:

Environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification.

3. The Sin of Vagueness:

This is committed when a claim is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the intended consumer. Common examples include: chemical free (nothing is free of chemicals, including water and all plants and animals); non-toxic (everything is toxic in a high enough dosage); all natural (many natural substances, such as arsenic, can be harmful); green or environmentally friendly (these mean nothing without an explanation as to why).

4. The Sin of Irrelevance:

This is committed by making an environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant and unhelpful for those seeking environmentally preferable products. It is irrelevant and therefore distracts the consumer from finding a truly greener option. For example, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a principal contributor to ozone depletion. A product boasting that it is CFC-free commits this sin since CFCs have been legally banned for several decades.

5. The Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils:

These are ‘green’ claims that may be true, but risk distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the actual product. Examples include organic cigarettes or ‘green’ insecticides and herbicides.

6. The Sin of Fibbing:

This sin is committed by making environmental claims that are simply false. These commonly include the misuse or misrepresentation of certification by an independent authority.

To access a downloadable pdf of the Six Sins of Greenwashing™ green paper by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc., visit eventgreening. co.za and go to the ‘Resources’ page.

You mean what?

Brushing up on your sustainability lingo is a helpful way to avoid falling for greenwashing claims. Here are some commonly used terms in the eventing space. More can be found on our website, on the Glossary of terms page under Resources.

Carbon footprint

The total impact of a person, group or event relating to the amount of carbon emissions emitted due to their activities, such as travelling to an event or using electricity that requires the burning of fossil fuels. This is typically expressed as carbon emission equivalent (CO2e).

Carbon-neutral event or net zero event

When net greenhouse gas emissions are zero; thus, all the activities related to an event are measured, so that carbon emissions can be reduced where possible, and all unavoidable emissions, that cannot be reduced through behavioural changes, can be offset through a reputable carbon offsetting programme.

Carbon offsetting

The process of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions generated by activities such as travelling and the use of electricity, and then paying for those emissions through a donation to a project or initiative that reduces carbon in the atmosphere by an equivalent amount.

Greenhouse gasses (GHG)/Carbon emissions

If you would like to know more about event greening, visit wwweventgreening.co.za where you can Gases that contribute to the browse the free resources, sign up to the greenhouse effect (global warming) by monthly newsletter, or contact them absorbing infrared radiation. The main directly with any queries. greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide Contact: (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapour (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic).

About the EGF

The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability within the business events sector. It does this by hosting educational sessions for industry and lobbying government in an effort to implement sustainability principles into the daily operations of the events industry.

The EGF was established through dedication and support of eight industry Event greening or sustainable event management associations who are recognised as The process of incorporating socially founding members. The founding and environmentally responsible members are key industry associations decision-making into the organising, working together to promote South Africa as a destination for various types of events. implementation and participation of an event.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about event greening, visit www.eventgreening.co.za where you can browse the free resources, sign up to the monthly newsletter, or contact them directly with any queries.

Contact: Lynn Mcleod

T: 082 891 5883

E: lynn@eventgreening.co.za