Free Guide Launched to Help Agencies Tackle Greenwashing
The free guide aims to help advertising and communications agencies comply with the latest greenwashing laws, following the UN Secretary-General's call to stop greenwashing and support solutions.
Amsterdam, Netherlands—Global NGO Creatives for Climate has launched a free first-of-its-kind guide, ‘The Anti-Greenwash Guide for Agency Leaders,’ to help agency leaders respond to the ever-growing regulatory changes against greenwashing at an Ethical Agency Summit in Amsterdam last week.
The 30-page guide is designed to be an interactive and comprehensive document containing essential guidelines and practical advice to help leaders navigate the complex landscape of sustainable marketing to tackle greenwashing, understand the limits of the law and make steps to transform to drive positive action.
The release of the guide follows the news last week of UN Secretary-General António Guterres questioning the integrity of the advertising and PR industries for having “aided and abetted” the fossil fuel industry by greenwashing in “massive ad campaigns” at his ‘Moment of Truth Special Address on Climate Action’ in New York City.
It covers the latest in regulatory frameworks, helpful tips to implement at the agency level to move away from inadvertent greenwashing (including a pull-out ‘How Not to Greenwash’ checklist), and principles to guide agencies on their path away from misleading and unsubstantiated claims in communications campaigns.
There is also a mix of settled and active case studies of greenwashing from marketing campaigns of global brands such as Primark, Unilever, Oatly, and HSBC, as well as positive examples of how to drive change at scale.
An exponential rise in legal and regulatory action against greenwashing has occurred in the last two years and greenwashing litigation is expected to have grown in 2024. ‘The Anti-Greenwash Guide for Agency Leaders’ details examples of legislation being introduced to clarify key terms and specify what types of claims are unlawful and which further evidence.
An excerpt from the guide shows the latest in regulatory frameworks addressing greenwashing from across the globe, and summarises them for readers:
United Kingdom: The Green Claims Code, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs), the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and the Advertising Standards Agency guidance.
United States: The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Green Guides.
Europe: The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD), the European Commission Guidance on the applicability of the UCPD, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, and the Green Claims Directive (GCD).
Australia: The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s guidance,
Singapore: The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (CPFTA) and the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP)
“Given the increasing regulatory changes, many agencies are struggling to keep up with the fast-changing laws. However, skirting the rules is the minimum standard and should not be the ultimate goal when aiming to create impactful campaigns that reflect the true nature of the climate crisis. This guide is designed to raise awareness about eliminating greenwashing and protecting agencies, which we hope will achieve greater transformation to steer the industry in the right direction.” Lucy von Sturmer, CEO and Founder, Creatives for Climate
“Agencies can land themselves in hot water if their campaigns fail to comply with anti-greenwashing laws and regulations, as shown by recent legal action involving global brands. This intensifying legal scrutiny means that adhering to the latest rules is only the bare minimum. Full and frank treatment of the facts through conscious and accurate messaging is the way forward.” Jonathan White, Climate Lawyer, ClientEarth
"An anti-greenwash guide is such a helpful resource to guide us through the complexities of communicating environmental messaging; the stakes are too high not to get it right. Our reach and potential for impact at Wieden+Kennedy and the industry as a whole is huge, which is why it is so vital that we're as responsible as we can be with the influence we wield. It matters what we say and how we say it.” Luke Purdy, Director of Sustainability, Wieden+Kennedy
The Anti-Greenwash Guide for Agency Leaders launch at Creatives for Climate’s first Ethical Agency Summit (Credit: MIles Rouse)
The guide was unveiled at Creatives for Climate’s first Ethical Agency Summit last week. The summit featured C-suite executives from agencies, climate organisations, and brands across the UK and Europe, including Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and more. Discussions covered the industry's ethical dilemmas, current regulation and accreditation standards, scaling and developing new agency models, and a vision of more positive industry-driving solutions.
Guide Authors
Co-authored with input from advisors, experts and industry leaders:
Lucy von Sturmer, Creatives for Climate
Jonathan White, Climate Lawyer, ClientEarth
Victoria Hurth, independent pracademic and Fellow of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
Jellien Roelofs, Green Claims Consultant and Anti-Greenwashing Expert
Professor Gill Wilson, Sustainability Professor
Key Links
About Creatives for Climate
Creatives for Climate is a nonprofit global network using creativity to take climate action. The network is 40,000-strong and includes entrepreneurs, employees, and ethical agencies. It is working towards a world where the creative and communications industries—advertising, marketing, and PR—drive climate solutions.
Its vision is to strive towards a world where creativity is used in service of climate solutions to transform the creative industries from driving pollution to scaling solutions. To achieve this, Creatives for Climate focuses on three critical action areas:
Capacity Building: Building a movement of creatives learning new skills to drive change.
Industry Action: Championing frontrunners to accelerate environmental action.
Climate Partnerships: Connecting climate organizations to creatives to co-create solutions.
Website: www.creativesforclimate.co
Creatives for Climate’s Community: www.creativesforclimate.community
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/creatives-for-climate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatives_for_climate
Contact: hello@creativesforclimate.co
