Suche
Mein Konto
Green label or greenwashing? This is how you recognize real sustainability!
TUM is researching sustainable methods against greenwashing in order to promote real environmental responsibility and transparency in companies.
Green label or greenwashing? This is how you recognize real sustainability!
More and more companies today are promoting a green image to appeal to increasingly environmentally conscious consumers. But the focus on the reality of sustainability is often lost. The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed a new method that should help overcome this discrepancy. The Sustainability-Oriented Process Analysis (SOPA) enables a holistic assessment of business processes that goes beyond CO₂ emissions and energy consumption.
With SOPA, companies can specifically identify deficits in their processes and take measures to conserve resources and reduce emissions. Luise Pufahl, Professor of Information Systems at the TUM Campus Heilbronn, emphasizes that creating transparency is a central goal of SOPA. The aim is to combat greenwashing – a practice that companies use to gloss over their environmental impact.
Greenwashing in focus
But what exactly does greenwashing mean? According to a report by the DFGE Greenwashing is the strategy of creating an image of ecological responsibility by companies spreading incorrect information. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as using your own seals without neutral review or highlighting positive aspects while obscuring negative contexts.
Greenwashing practices are not only misleading, they also damage consumer trust. DWS Group, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, was accused of greenwashing in 2022. Their financial products were advertised as more sustainable than they actually were. These incidents represent a serious problem that not only affects individual companies, but can potentially discredit the entire industry.
The role of transparency
The importance of clear and transparent sustainability communication cannot be overemphasized. Loud Environmental dialogue This is essential to empower consumers to distinguish between real and deceptive sustainability messages. Effective communication must be based on concrete actions supported by reliable data.
Companies are required to present their obligations transparently and to integrate independent audits of their environmental impact. Consumers, on the other hand, should be able to critically examine companies' sustainable practices and ask for concrete evidence of environmentally friendly actions. An informed public can help reduce the spread of greenwashing and focus on real sustainability efforts.
With a view to new government requirements regarding data base and transparency, it is expected that corporate communications practices will continue to develop. It is hoped that initiatives such as SOPA, together with a growing awareness of the issue of greenwashing, can bring about positive change in the industry.