Greenwashing — O Perigo de Alegações Falsas Generalizadas e Como os Média Portugueses Representam Essa Prática

Lauralice Ribeiro; Paula Campos Ribeiro

doi:10.17231/comsoc.45(2024).5034

Authors

Lauralice Ribeiro Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9050-1911
Paula Campos Ribeiro Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1735-9189

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.45(2024).5034

Keywords:

greenwashing, sustainability, “Race to Zero”, Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor

Abstract

The United Nations launched the “Race to Zero” campaign, which private companies have voluntarily joined in the quest to reduce carbon emissions by 2030. The results of this action can be found in the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor, developed by the NewClimate Institute and Carbon Market Watch. This study aims to understand how the two largest Portuguese newspapers — Expresso and Público — report on the results of the “Race to Zero” campaign and how much the media focuses on greenwashing in the period before and after the release of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor, in 2022 and 2023. In search of answers to the following questions: how do Portugal’s two largest online newspapers approach greenwashing? And how visible is the report on the results of the “Race to Zero” campaign? Methodologically, the study follows two approaches: firstly, a non-systematic review of the latest literature on the concept of “greenwashing”; and, secondly, an empirical survey of qualitative/quantitative content analysis based on the online publications of the two largest newspapers in Portugal (Expresso and Público) during the period of publication of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Lauralice Ribeiro, Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

Lauralice de Moura Ribeiro is a PhD candidate in Communication Science at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Coimbra, holds a master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from the same institution and a postgraduate degree in Organisational Communication from the Casper Líbero Foundation.

Paula Campos Ribeiro, Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

Paula Campos Ribeiro has a PhD in Communication Sciences in the area of organisational communication from the University of Minho. She is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Coimbra and an integrated researcher at the Communication and Society Research Centre.

References

Atkinson, L., & Kim, Y. (2014). “I drink it anyway and I know I shouldn’t”: Understanding green consumers’ positive evaluations of norm-violating non-green products and misleading green advertising. Environmental Communication, 9(1), 37–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2014.932817

Batistella, M., & Marchiori, M. (2013). O processo comunicacional e as práticas sustentáveis nas organizações. Organicom, 10(18), 110–122. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-2593.organicom.2013.139173

Bem-David, I., Viehs, M., & Kleimier, S. (2021). Quando a legislação ambiental é mais rigorosa dentro do próprio país, as empresas poluem mais no estrangeiro. In Alterações climáticas - Visões fundamentais (pp. 47–52). Actual.

Carlson, L., Grove, S., & Kangun, N. (1993). A content analysis of environmental advertising claims: A matrix method approach. Journal of Advertising, 22(3), 27–39.

Chen, Y.-S., & Chang, C.-H. (2013). Greenwash and green trust: The mediation effects of green consumer confusion and green perceived risk. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(3), 489–500. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1360-0

de Jong, M., Harkink, K., & Barth, S. (2018). Making green stuff? Effects of corporategreenwashing on consumers. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 32(1), 77–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651917729863

de Jong, M., Huluba, G., & Beldad, A. (2020). Different shades of greenwashing: Consumers’ reactions to environmental lies, half-lies, and organizations taking credit for following legal obligations. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 34(1), 38–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651919874105

de Jong, M., & van der Meer, M. (2017). How does it fit? Exploring the congruence between organizations and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Journal of Business Ethics, 143, 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2782-2

Delmas, M., & Burbano, V. (2011). The drivers of greenwashing. California Management Review, 54(1), 64–87. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64

Figueira, J. (2014). A vida é bela: Processos de institucionalização e construção de sentido através dos media. Comunicação e Sociedade, 26, 22–46. https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.26(2014).2023

Freitas Netto, S., Sobral, M., Ribeiro, A. R., & Soares, G. (2020). Concepts and forms of greenwashing: A systematic review. Environmental Sciences Europe, 32, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-020-0300-3

Ganapathy, D. (2022). Media and climate change. Routledge.

Gatti, L., Pizzeti, M., & Seele, P. (2021). Green lies and their effect on intention to invest. Journal of Business Research, 127, 228–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.01.028

Kim, J., Dibrell, C., & Fairclough, S. (2016). Attention, action, and greenwash in family-influenced firms? Evidence from polluting industries. Organization & Environment, 30(4), 304–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026616673410

Kunsch, M., & Oliveira, I. (Eds.). (2009). A comunicação na gestão da sustentabilidade das organizações. Difusão.

Laufer, W. (2003). Social accountability and corporate greenwashing. Journal of Business Ethics, 43, 253–261. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022962719299

Lim, W., Ting, D., Bonaventure, V., Sendiawan, A., & Tanusina, P. (2013). What happens when consumers realise about green washing? A qualitative investigation. International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 13(1), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGENVI.2013.057323

Lyon, T., & Montgomery, W. (2015). The means and end of greenwashing. Organization & Environment, 28(2), 223–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615575332

Mason, M., & Mason, R. (2012). Communicating a green corporate perspective: Ideological persuasion in the corporate environmental report. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 26(4), 479–506. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651912448872

Musgrove, C., Choi, P., & Cox, C. (2018). Consumer perceptions of green marketing claims: An examination of the relationships with type of claim and corporate credibility. Services Marketing Quarterly, 39(4), 277–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332969.2018.1514794

Nassar, P., & Farias, L. (2017). Ética e organizações: Narrativas e conflitos. Organicom, 14(27), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-2593.organicom.2017.144109

NewClimate Institute. (2022, 7 de fevereiro). Q&A with the authors: Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022. https://newclimate.org/news/qa-with-the-authors-corporate-climate-responsibility-monitor-2022

NewClimate Institute. (2023, 13 de fevereiro). Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2023. https://newclimate.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/NewClimate_CorporateClimateResponsibilityMonitor2023_Feb23.pdf

Nyilasy, G., Gangadharbatla, H., & Paladino, A. (2014). Perceived greenwashing: The interactive effects of green advertising and corporate environmental performance on consumer reactions. Journal of Business Ethics, 125, 693–707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1944-3

Otis, L. (2023, 13 de fevereiro). Combating corporate greenwashing through regulation. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/publications/combating-corporate-greenwashing-through-regulation/

Ramus, C., & Montiel, I. (2005). When are corporate environmental policies a form of greenwashing? Business & Society, 44(4), 377–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650305278120

Rossetti, G. (2009). A ação comunicativa na sustentabilidade organizacional. In M. Kunsch & I. Oliveira (Eds.), A comunicação na gestão da sustentabilidade das organizações (pp. 125–131). Difusão.

Santos, C., Coelho, A., & Marques, A. (2023). A systematic literature review on greenwashing and its relationship to stakeholders: State of art and future research agenda. Management Review Quarterly, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00337-5

Santos, M. N. (2020). Narrativas digitais nas redes sociais: A construção do imaginário religioso na visibilidade mediática [Tese de doutoramento, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo]. REPOSITORIO PUCSP.

Schmidt, L. (2003). Ambiente no ecrã. Imprensa de Ciências Sociais.

Schumacher, K. (2022). Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and green productivity: The impacts of greenwashing and competence greenwashing on sustainable finance and ESG investing. Asian Productivity Organization. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4303609

Srour, R. H. (2008). Por que empresas eticamente orientadas? Organicom, 5(8), 59–67. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-2593.organicom.2008.138967

Tanford, S., & Montgomery, R. (2015). The effects of social influence and cognitive dissonance on travel purchase decisions. Journal of Travel Research, 54(5), 596–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287514528287

TerraChoice. (2007). The six sins of greenwashing: A study of environmental claims in North American Consumer markets. TerraChoice Environmental Marketing. https://sustainability.usask.ca/documents/Six_Sins_of_Greenwashing_nov2007.pdf

TerraChoice. (2009). The seven sins of greenwashing: Environmental claims in consumer markets. Summary report: North America. TerraChoice Environmental Marketing. https://people.chem.ucsb.edu/feldwinn/darby/greenworks/Readings/7_Sins_of_Greenwashing.pdf

TerraChoice. (2010). The sins of greenwashing home and family edition: A report on environmental claims made in the North American consumer market. Underwriters Laboratories. https://www.twosides.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Terrachoice_The_Sins_of_Greenwashing_-_Home_and_Family_Edition_2010.pdf

Testa, F., Miroshnychenko, I., Barontini, R., & Frey, M. (2018). Does it pay to be a greenwasher or a brownwasher? Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(7), 1104–1116. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2058

Torelli, R., Balluchi, F., & Lazinni, A. (2020). Greenwashing and environmental communication: Effects on stakeholders’ perceptions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29, 407–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2373

Turri, A., & Turri, J. (2015). The truth about lying. Cognition, 138, 161–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2015.01.007

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (s.d.). Race to zero: The world’s largest coalition of non-state actors taking immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030. Retirado a 18 de março de 2023, de https://racetozero.unfccc.int/system/race-to-zero/

Vieira, J., & Gonçalves, P. R. (2014). Comunicação para a sustentabilidade das organizações. In T. Ruão, R. Freitas, P. C. Ribeiro, & P. Salgado (Eds.), Comunicação organizacional e relações públicas - Horizontes e perspetivas (pp. 116–129). CECS - Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade. https://hdl.handle.net/1822/65030

Wang, H., Ma, B., & Bai, R. (2019). The spillover effect of greenwashing behaviours: An experimental approach. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 38(3), 283–295. https://doi.org/10.1108/mip-01-2019-0006

zero. (2023, 14 de fevereiro). ZERO lamenta práticas perversas de greenwashing nos planos climáticos das grandes empresas globais. https://zero.ong/noticias/zero-lamenta-praticas-perversas-de-greenwashing-nos-planos-climaticos-das-grandes-empresas-globais/