A sneaky ‘new’ way to greenwash

Article excerpt:

Increasingly, wishy-washy terms like “eco” and “green” set off alarm bells for savvy consumers and can land a company in murky legal waters, especially if the firm advertises in the E.U. But these kinds of speed bumps never stop marketers from trying, and a different type of greenwashing is on the rise, says Wren Montgomery, professor of sustainability and general management at Canada’s Ivey Business School. This time, advertisers are focusing on all of the social “good” that fossil fuel companies are doing. They’re not claiming to be saving the planet; they’re saving your way of life. Just glance at this warm and fuzzy Chevron ad about how the company fuels “festivities across the country.”