Say the word greenwashing and what comes to mind? You might think of fast fashion brands setting ambitious CO₂ emissions targets, but never following up on whether they’re actually meeting them, or food retailers who call their cutlery “compostable” when it only breaks down in industrial conditions. But what about energy? For most of us in the UK, the biggest concern when it comes to energy is rising costs; suppliers are far more likely to be accused of profiteering than they are greenwashing. But perhaps it’s time to put their sustainability claims under the microscope.
Fran Woodward, managing director for supply at renewable energy company Good Energy, thinks so. “We think the current system, with suppliers badging themselves as ‘100% renewable’, is greenwashing, because it leads consumers to believe they’re doing the right thing and making a difference, when often they’re not,” she says.
