Regulators Are Trying to Stop Greenwashing Before It Gets Worse
From banning ads to suing over dubious claims, governments are starting to fight back against companies seen as misleading consumers on sustainability.
A recent boom in green claims reflects growing consumer attention to sustainable living.
Illustration by Camilo Medina
In 2021, a series of HSBC advertisements started appearing on bus stops around the UK. Part of a campaign centered on the slogan “Climate change doesn’t do borders,” the posters paired images of trees and ocean waves with statements about the bank’s efforts to finance the transition to net zero and help plant 2 million trees.
Adfree Cities, a campaign group that targets street ads, wasn’t having it. The group complained about the HSBC campaign to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), a UK industry regulator. In its review of the complaint, the ASA found that HSBC had sent $130 billion of financing to fossil fuel companies in recent years. The agency banned the ads for greenwashing.