The era of branded change: how corporations deceive people
We are facing a new wind called corporate change: an intersection of sustainability and change. Specifically, corporations are doing this through advertising, sponsoring, hosting panels, summits, and so on. Which, in other words, sounds like branded change. Either sustainability needed marketing to reach a wider audience, or we can clearly say: this is greenwashing! Smoke and mirrors designed to make money.
The conversations on sustainability encounter the favour of corporations. Indeed, the more the discussions multiply, the more they need to get involved–fingers in the pie. But since our planet has reached the point of no return, the narrative turns out as dangerous. And even if the facades are beautiful, questions should arise.
Every day a new greenwashing candy!
Every day, we’re presented with a new greenwashing pearl:
• Eco-conscious movements sponsored by big conglomerates.
• Corporations like Coca Cola sponsoring COP27.
• Fashion Group Inditex (Zara) partnering with WWF.
It sounds weird. Don’t you think so?
And what about the fresh new one: UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 talks! Yes, an oil boss will lead the climate summit!
Does it make any sense? Can we trust them?
They make millions by exploiting the planet, yet they promote a conference to address climate change. It seems as though one single institution is selling both the poison and the cure–all at the same time! There’s a name for these practices, an internationally recognized definition: conflict of interest. Perhaps corporations or top managers aren’t familiar with it.
How can we trust those who created the environmental destruction we’re facing? And yet, they make money from it! In order to prioritise profit and growth, corporations have taken deliberate decisions ignoring the side effects on the planet and on the people. Now they can even lead summits on the climate emergency, but they aren’t the ones who will ever bring effective solutions.
Corporate change? This is greenwashing!
However, you might think that what matters is spreading the conversation on sustainability, regardless of who funds it. Well, no! Those who say that have other purposes than change.
We quote cobsinsights.com – “Can we trust corporate sustainability reporting?”:
“corporate or business sustainability is simply NOT planetary sustainability.”
And so, firms can invent stories to make the narrative engaging, but that doesn’t mean those stories are real. There’s a gap between rhetoric and action. All these people can do is keep an outdated system alive.
In conclusion, we can easily explain this new wave of corporate change & sustainability in a few words: this is greenwashing!