Social media ads are littered with ‘green’ claims. How are we supposed to know they’re true?
Research by the Australian Ad Observatory project has found more than 8,000 ads served more than 20,000 times in people’s Facebook feeds containing many green claims that are vague, meaningless or unsubstantiated and consumers are potentially being deceived.
Online platforms are awash with ads for so-called “green” products. Power companies are “carbon neutral”. Electronics are “for the planet”. Clothing is “circular” and travel is “sustainable”. Or are they?
Our study of more than 8,000 ads served more than 20,000 times in people’s Facebook feeds found many green claims are vague, meaningless or unsubstantiated and consumers are potentially being deceived.
This costs consumers, as products claiming to be greener are often more expensive. And it costs the planet, as false and exaggerated green claims – or “greenwashing” – make it seem more is being done to tackle climate change and other environmental crises than is really happening.
This article was published in The Conversation, 1 December 2023.
Author: Christine Parker, Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne and Chief Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society.