According to a recent report by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, there has been a significant surge in the number of lawsuits targeting companies for “climate washing” over the past two years.
Climate washing refers to the practice of companies making deceptive or misleading claims about their environmental commitments. This can involve exaggerating carbon emissions reductions or falsely presenting themselves as “carbon neutral.”
The report reveals that globally, there were 26 climate washing cases filed against companies in the last year alone, marking a substantial increase from the mere 10 cases reported in 2019. Although the majority of these cases were filed in the United States, instances have also been recorded in Europe, Australia, and other countries.
Several factors have contributed to the rise in climate washing lawsuits. One factor is the growing public awareness of climate change, prompting greater scrutiny of corporate environmental claims. Additionally, the increasing availability of data on corporate emissions has empowered activists to challenge companies’ assertions about their environmental credentials.
The upsurge in climate washing lawsuits reflects a heightened determination among activists to hold companies accountable for their environmental impact. It also indicates a growing public skepticism toward corporate greenwashing practices.
To combat climate washing, the Grantham Research Institute report puts forth several recommendations. These suggestions include promoting greater transparency from companies regarding their environmental impact, implementing stronger government regulations to prevent climate washing, and providing the public with more education about climate change and the issue of climate washing.
The report concludes that climate washing poses a serious obstacle to global efforts aimed at addressing climate change and calls for urgent action to tackle this problem.
