In this context, but also taking into account the major role of companies in society, the information needs of stakeholders have increased significantly, including among consumers, who are becoming more and more interested in the topic of sustainability. Thus, responsible communication on the part of companies has become essential for combating disinformation, in its increasingly diverse forms: greenwashing, pinkwashing, sport washing, bluewashing, and woke-washing.
“Truly responsible companies first do and then communicate. We were talking about sustainability 20 years ago in terms of CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility. Meanwhile, the concept of Corporate Governance emerged. Companies that truly do sustainable and responsible business in the markets they operate in have developed their own internal taxonomy. Reports upon reports that help us understand if the messages we send out to the outside really support reality," said Anca Ungureanu, Identity & Communication Director, UniCredit Bank.
Valer Hancaș, the president of IAA Romania, believes that, in order to combat the phenomenon of greenwashing (making false, misleading, unfounded, or incomplete claims regarding the green attributes that a product, service, or commercial activity fulfils), companies need first of a well-defined strategy and concrete actions.
"I think we should focus on what it means to be responsible and engaging with consumers. Every business is focused, first of all, on profit. Without profit, there can be no sustainable actions, regardless of whether we are talking about involvement in disadvantaged social environments, environmental protection, and so on. Companies are aware of and benefit from a lot of in-depth studies, so the demands of the public should be extremely clear. Until communication, where we risk going in the wrong direction of greenwashing, there should be a strategy, an x-ray of the mission that the company has, and some concrete actions", said Valer Hancaș, president of IAA Romania.
The media has an important role to play in combating disinformation in the field of sustainability by distributing correct and verified information. Moreover, journalists can generate change for the better by presenting positive examples of sustainable companies and by investigating and exposing cases of greenwashing.
