Resolution 1038 – Support Legislation to End Greenwashing in Washington State
WHEREAS, Greenwashing is a form of advertising that deceptively uses public relations marketing and to persuade the public that an entity’s products, goals, investments, or policies are environmentally friendly or sustainable, is an increasingly common tactic to mislead the public regarding the impacts of business practices affecting the environment and climate change (1); and
WHEREAS, Citizens want to purchase, use, recycle, and dispose of products in ways that enable them to effectively participate in protecting the environment, and decarbonizing societies (2); and
WHEREAS, There are many entities that use advertising language like “renewable natural gas (RNG)”, “sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)”, “green cruise corridors”, “recyclable”, or “eco-friendly” in relation to energy, plastics, and packaging; and “carbon-neutral” or “net-zero” in relation to reducing carbon emissions, or make false promises of technology that does not yet exist or is unproven as a solution to our environmental degradation and climate crisis (3); and
WHEREAS, These terms are often inaccurate and delay progress on decarbonization and environmental protection because corporations are utilizing greenwashing as marketing tools to confuse consumers with misleading language in order to continue “business-as-usual” even as progress toward genuine green practices is urgently needed (4); and
WHEREAS, companies must be held accountable for using best available science, in being honest in advertising and accurate in reporting progress toward green objectives and practices,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Washington State Democratic Party calls for the legislature to adopt laws that make greenwashing illegal in Washington state and require entities that make climate pledges to provide accurate annual reporting on progress toward environmental sustainability and decarbonizing goals, using the United Nations High-Level Expert Group “Integrity Matters: Ten ”Recommendations for Implementation” implementation checklist (5); and
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Washington State Democratic Party forward this resolution to the Washington State Governor and all Washington State House and Senate Democrats.
References:
1. Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance – Greenwashing: Navigating the Risk: Posted by Peter Pears, Tim Baines, and Oliver Williams, Mayer Brown LLP, on Monday, July 24, 2023 https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2023/07/24/greenwashing-navigating-the-risk/
2. Federal Trade Commission – Green Guides, Truth in Advertising. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/green-guides
3. Integrity Matters: Net Zero Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities and Regions United Nations’ High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities. https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/high-level_expert_group_n7b.pdf
4. Natural Resources Defense Council – What Is Greenwashing? How this misleading marketing practice impacts consumers and communities and stands in the way of real environmental progress. February 9, 2023 https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-greenwashing
5. Integrity Matters: Net Zero Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities and Regions United Nations’ High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities pg. 14. https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/high-level_expert_group_n7b.pdf
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Adopted by the Environment and Climate Caucus (ECC): at its general meeting 2024 08 15