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TECHNOLOGY REPORT






      whether B2B or B2C, as technology is   isations that conduct proper measurements but still make mis-  essential.”
      intervening and unmasking more firms   leading environmental claims. We’re seeing products marketed as   He continues: “This attitude is less
      breaking the rules.             sustainable despite having worse environmental impacts than   prevalent in the growing packaging sec-
        As Jonathan Rush, knowledge counsel   alternatives”. This is a particularly concern for the print and pack-  tor but remains common in publishing
      at Travers Smith, highlights, for some   aging sector.                           and commercial printing, where action
      time the ASA has been using AI-assisted   He believes the industry needs “a wake-up call”, which will   typically only follows customer
      collective advert monitoring. And it   likely come through a major scandal with, say, a prominent con-  demand.”
      appears to be catching firms out over   sumer brand facing negative publicity for greenwashing on pack-  He doesn’t want to name specific
      their claims.                   aging.                                           offenders but feels that any company
        As he points out, “over the period of   Notably Harris sees major brands as being highly conscious of   claiming to be ‘green,’ ‘sustainable,’ or
      2022-23, the body saw a 30-fold increase   green claims compliance and that “it’s rare to see weak or unsub-  ‘carbon negative’ without supporting
      in the number of adverts it has been able   stantiated claims on consumer-facing packaging”. He adds,   studies is taking significant risks.
      to analyse. This, along with the ASA’s   though, that “this doesn’t necessarily reflect manufacturer prac-
      new strategy to proactively pursue   tices; many problematic claims simply don’t reach the consumer   Advising the print sector
      instances of greenwashing, means that   domain”.                                   If Harris were to advise a new client,
      businesses across many sectors are now   Even so, James Best, chair of the Committee of Advertising   he would state that “the solution is
      falling foul of the regulator.”  Practice, said in the above report that perhaps the “most impor-  straightforward in principle but requires
        By the end of 2023, the AI tool was   tant work in the long term [of the ASA] has been concerned with   commitment in practice”.
      processing over 500,000 adverts a   environmental claims”, including work clarifying what ‘green   Fundamentally, he says that busi-
      month and the ASA says that it contrib-  claims’ mean and determining how climate change and mitigat-  nesses must measure their carbon foot-
      uted to the majority of adverts which   ing technologies should be communicated in adverts.  print as well as other environmental
      were amended/withdrawn following   And this, says Rush, “is evidenced by the ASA’s increased activ-  impacts such as water usage and sources
      ASA action that year.           ity in the ESG space. In 2023, it introduced new guidelines on   of fibre and develop reduction plans over
        Consequently, Rush thinks it impor-  environmental claims in advertising, and in recent years it has   time. And as greenwashing most com-
 It’s not easy being green  understand the heightened risks they   number of misleading environmental claims”.  he, understandably, advocates for the
      tant that organisations and businesses
                                      actively investigated and made findings in relation to a significant
                                                                                       monly occurs in product-specific claims,
                                                                                       use of specialists to “stand alongside
      face from increased scrutiny of green
      claims they make and also, what they
                                                                                       tion and guide them away from unsub-
      can to do to minimise their exposure. He   Why greenwashing happens              companies to help enhance their reputa-
                                        As to why greenwashing occurs, some put it down to the desire
      takes a moment to highlight the fact that   to win business from eco-orientated customers and please stake-  stantiated environmental claims”.
      the ASA’s 2023 Annual Report set out its   holders, others say it’s because of ignorance or a genuine misun-  But from a legal perspective, Rush
      five-year strategy which relies on   derstanding of the rules. But for Harris, while deliberate   says that “what regulators are asking
      AI-assisted collective advert regulation   greenwashing exists, his experience shows that it typically stems   business to do is arguably no different in
      to shift the ASA from complaints-led   from naivety and knowledge gaps. And he thinks that the funda-  principle from what they expect with
      investigations to proactive monitoring   mental issue often revolves around products perceived as ‘greener’   regard to any type of marketing claim,
      and enforcement.                – such as fibre-based materials – without scientific validation of   namely that it should be supported by
        “This,” says Rush, “is a significant   their environmental impact. Says Harris: “We’ve witnessed cases   adequate evidence; and not be expressed
      change, and establishes the ASA as a   where businesses ignore scientific evidence and continue promot-  in a way that gives a misleading impres-
      more visible and dynamic regulator in   ing products as environmentally superior, which constitutes clear   sion, particularly when it comes to the
      the ESG space; the report makes clear   greenwashing.”                           business’ overall impact on the environ-
                                                                                       ment”.
      that environmental claims remain a top   This said, he adds: “If you come across a buyer who understands   He thinks that high carbon-emitting
      priority for the regulator.”    sustainability, they will generally conduct their own assessment   business should be particularly con-
                                      and will tend to ignore general marketing claims made by the sup-
      More than a definition          plier.” Such buyers are looking for independently verified assess-  cerned by this last point. None of this
                                                                                       should mean that green claims are com-
        Greenwashing is easily defined. As the   ments such as a product carbon footprint (PCF), a wider lifecycle   pletely off the table; on the contrary, the
      Law Society – among others –notes, it   carbon assessment (LCA) or a standardised environmental prod-  ASA sees businesses that have managed
      “occurs where an environmental claim   uct declaration (EPD). Accordingly, he’s seen the worst of both   to strike the right balance through the
      made about a business, product or ser-  worlds, “where what are often innocent greenwashing claims are   inclusion of straightforward ads that
      vice is untrue or misleading”.  generally only taken seriously by inexperienced buyers”.  acknowledges the less-climate-positive
        For Harris, the term greenwashing is   Harris reckons that most issues arise from companies cutting   aspects of their activities, that indicates
      quite old now. Even so, he thinks that   corners, attempting internal assessments, or relying on under-  how early in their journey they are, or
      despite increasing legislation and corpo-  qualified advisers. That said, he considers that the primary mis-  that provides summary details of their
      rate commitments, greenwashing   take is avoiding proper science-led studies, often due to financial   future planned activities. Such material
      remains a persistent challenge. In his   constraints. “In our low-margin industry, many printers view   does not have to dominate, but it must
      view, “the real issue now lies with organ-  comprehensive environmental studies as optional rather than   not be hidden away.


      www.printweekmena.com                                                                      July 2025 PrintWeek MENA 27
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