International webinar “Fighting greenwashing in retail”
International webinar “Fighting greenwashing in retail”
Ecological Union stands for the correct positioning of eco-products on the market. We educate businesses and consumers about greenwashing. We also create convenient tools to help responsible consumers choose reliable eco products and teach producers communicate their environmental statements clearly.
On 11.15.2021 Global Ecolabelling Network and Ecological Union brought together experts from different countries - Russia, Germany, Sweden, Australia and Holland to discuss approaches to fighting greenwashing in retail. In the webinar you can find a variety of instruments, approaches and international cases on greenwashing.
Every year more and more people demand social and environmental responsibility, voting with their wallet for sustainable production and consumption. Consumers strive not only to satisfy their needs, but also to contribute to solving global problems. A Eurobarometer study in the European Union found that 57% of consumers consider sustainability information when making a purchase decision, and approximately 50% look for ecolabels on a product.
However in the pursuit of new business opportunities, speculation is inevitable. Products, services and companies are positioned as green for no good reason. According to ICPEN, almost half of manufacturers use "eco", "sustainable" or "natural" product labeling without justification. This is greenwashing that misleads consumers, carries reputational risks for businesses and undermines the credibility of eco-products in general. Greenwashing contributes to consumer scepticism of all green claims, and diminishes the power of the consumer to drive companies toward real greener manufacturing processes and business operations.
Ecological Union stands for the correct positioning of eco-products on the market. We educate businesses and consumers about greenwashing. We also create convenient tools to help responsible consumers choose reliable eco products, we teach producers communicate their environmental statements clearly.
Our aim is to implement the basics of the correct positioning of eco-products and services on the market. Our “Methodological Guide to Greening Assortment and Proper Positioning of Eco-Products” includes detailed information on greenwashing. And UNEP's "Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information" will help manufacturers communicate product sustainability.
In the webinar “Fighting greenwashing in retail” you can find a variety of instruments, approaches and international cases on greenwashing. The discussion was organized by the Global Ecolabelling Network, the Ecological Union ("Vitality Leaf" ecolabel) and TCO Development (the TCO Certified ecolabel). Informational support of the webinar was provided by the Association "Marketing in Retail" POPAI and + 1Platform. The participants of the webinar were Russian companies and business representatives, including big retail companies such as Magnit and Utkonos.
SDG 12 Targets
External source(s)
Actors involved:
Value Chain Stage(s):
Distribution / Retail
Use / Consumption
