Csr Greenwashing

Corporate social responsibility reports, including environmental reports can, but not necessarily be a form of “greenwashing”.

If a company is reporting truthful and accurate information on their relevant actions, impacts, improvements and results, the reports should not be considered as disinformation, therefore should not be seen as “greenwashing”.

For company that presents current information in its CSR report, and received positive public feedback due to is successful environmentally friendly practices, the report should not be considered “greenwashing” because the company is actually “green”, even if the report is marketed to improve the company’s public image. The company, in this situation, is not using resources solely on public relation or marketing. Just like a company with a better feature in their product will use that feature do differentiate itself from other company. Companies that spent time and effort on developing better feature on environmental or social impacts should be allowed to differentiate itself using this difference.

On the other hand, some companies report fictive or misleading information with the solely purpose on improving or, sometimes, maintaining its public image. Such reports should be considered as an action of “greenwashing”. Since the topic on “environmentally friendly” is cared and valued by the public, many companies take on the green title, by making up impacts that they did not achieve or efforts they did not make, just to maintain their reputation. This should also be considered “greenwashing”, because the company is taking the benefit of “being green”.

The initial purpose of corporate social responsibility report is to help the company and its stakeholders to monitor the company’s self-regulation on its compliance with social ethics and responsibilities. CSR encourage a company to act in the interest of stakeholders, communities, employees, and the public. CSR also guide a company to take responsibilities of...