Sustainable marketing

Unmasking greenwashing; our latest B2B Research Report

December 2023

The green economy is booming making strong sustainability credentials a supply chain requirement. This is giving rise to a disconcerting trend: greenwashing.

Eager to engage in the climate conversation, organisations are finding themselves inadvertently misrepresenting their environmental efforts due to a fundamental lack of understanding about what it truly means to be green. This could carry permanent commercial consequences, forcing companies to either evolve or risk getting left behind.

In delivering our Net Zero Masterclass and regularly communicating with sales and marketing professionals, we picked up on several recurring themes when it came to communicating their environmental efforts.

We wanted to understand firsthand the pressure these teams might be under, and how this may be contributing to greenwashing, leading us to partner with the international research agency, Perspectus Global, back in September. A survey panel consisting of 500 UK B2B businesses, and a mix of senior, in-house, marketing and sustainability leaders, received 12 questions - covering everything from their understanding of the climate lexicon, to their business’ reporting procedures.

Download the report now.

Our findings bring attention to the challenges businesses are facing and outline steps for improvement. It’s crucial for all organisations to wholeheartedly embrace and implement green practices, not just to thrive, but to survive.

Leadership's influence on greenwashing

One of our biggest revelations was that a reported 60% of companies express concerns about the accuracy of their green claims, with the number one reason being down to senior management requests (cited by 30%).

Not only does this indicate that sustainability is being used as a marketing tactic, but it also shows that employees aren’t equipped with the essential knowledge to scrutinise the information they’re putting out into the world.

Emission monitoring and offset controversies

Despite two-thirds of respondents asserting their companies are 'leading the way,' our report revealed that only half claim to be actively monitoring all carbon emissions.

Alarmingly, 60% engage in controversial offsetting schemes, revealing a substantial gap between self-perception and genuine environmental action.

Generational differences

Based on our research, 40% of Gen Zs (18-29-year-olds) have responsibility in their business’ sustainability marketing, in contrast to 30% of Gen X (44-59-year-olds).

Although this could be promising for the future, especially considering that the younger generation is increasingly taking a genuine interest in the planet, their lack of exposure may lead them to take claims at face value.

This could explain why they were more likely to describe their workplaces as ‘trailblazing’, whereas Gen Xs thought they were stalling or standing still.

Balancing protection and disclosure

As consumers become more savvy on the important topic of sustainability, an increasing number of businesses appear to be falling victim to ‘green hushing’ - with over 68% of businesses stating that they’re becoming increasingly cautious about sharing their plans.

Nearly half attribute this caution to the need to protect their organisations from intense and unfair scrutiny, which is only hindering collective learning and accountability - two essential ingredients in tackling the climate crisis.

What can you do?

Ultimately, knowledge really is power, and the only way to propel ourselves forward is to understand the current business landscape and collectively pinpoint the areas that desperately need adaptation.

So, for a deeper dive into the research, and to understand exactly what you should (and definitely shouldn’t) be doing to make a positive difference, download our full report for free now.