But consumer education will only go so far to fix this emerging problem. Few of us have the time to read a technical explanation of reforestation before buying breakfast cereal. This is why greater regulation of green claims is necessary.
The same level of scrutiny that applies to the Heart Foundation tick should be introduced in Australia to oversee environmental claims.
If they knew that a program was well-run and credible, consumers would rely on its green tick of approval. And as a communicator, I would be proud to promote a product that had genuine accreditation backing its claims.
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The most damaging part of the proliferation of bogus environmental statements is that they can cast doubt on the genuine progress being made by organisations that are doing the right thing.
As such, those of us in the communication industries need to take accountability for things we write and say about our employers and clients.
We too have obligations - an obligation to strive for authenticity, an obligation not to mislead and an obligation to promote organisations in a way that ensures they are "walking the walk" of sustainability as well as that they "talk the talk".
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