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The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or just a possibility, it is now a reality for all of us. In this pathway, Kevin Trenberth, a renowned climatologist, delves into the science behind climate change. He first introduces the climate system, its main components and forces.

Tackling the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is by far the biggest threat to our oceans and this remains an incredibly tough problem to solve. Plastic credits could potentially serve as one of the much needed solutions for this crisis.

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The Scale of the Net Zero Challenge

The price of meeting net zero is estimated to be between $100-150 trillion over the next 30 years. Regardless of this cost, we need to reach net zero before climate change does irreversible damage to the environment and the economy.

ESG, Sustainability and Impact Jargon Buster

ESG, sustainability, impact… they all just mean green, right? Not quite. Despite being used often interchangeably, there are distinct differences between these terms.

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Featured Pathways

More pathways

The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or just a possibility, it is now a reality for all of us. In this pathway, Kevin Trenberth, a renowned climatologist, delves into the science behind climate change. He first introduces the climate system, its main components and forces.

Tackling the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is by far the biggest threat to our oceans and this remains an incredibly tough problem to solve. Plastic credits could potentially serve as one of the much needed solutions for this crisis.

More pathways

Book a demo

Pricing

Ready to get started?

Plans & Membership

Our Platform

Expert led content

+1,000 expert presented, on-demand video modules

Learning analytics

Keep track of learning progress with our comprehensive data

Interactive learning

Engage with our video hotspots and knowledge check-ins

Testing & certification

Gain CPD / CPE credits and professional certification

Managed learning

Build, scale and manage your organisation’s learning

Integrations

Connect Sustainability Unlocked to your current platform

Featured Content

More featured content

The Scale of the Net Zero Challenge

The price of meeting net zero is estimated to be between $100-150 trillion over the next 30 years. Regardless of this cost, we need to reach net zero before climate change does irreversible damage to the environment and the economy.

ESG, Sustainability and Impact Jargon Buster

ESG, sustainability, impact… they all just mean green, right? Not quite. Despite being used often interchangeably, there are distinct differences between these terms.

More featured content

Book a demo

Pricing

Ready to get started?

Book a demo

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What is Greenwashing?

What is Greenwashing?

Keith Mullin

35 years: Capital markets editorial

In the first video of this series, Keith begins by introducing Greenwashing and some examples of how some companies could potentially be seen as greenwashing. He also talks about some of the regulatory moves around data disclosure that investors and other stakeholders are calling for.    

In the first video of this series, Keith begins by introducing Greenwashing and some examples of how some companies could potentially be seen as greenwashing. He also talks about some of the regulatory moves around data disclosure that investors and other stakeholders are calling for.    

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What is Greenwashing?

10 mins 36 secs

Overview

Greenwashing is making knowingly false claims about the ESG qualities of a product, project, service or business with the intent to mislead. There are many ways companies can engage in greenwashing. It can and does result from cynical behaviour by companies but it can also result from a lack of robust data, while perceiving it can depend on one’s perspective.

Key learning objectives:

  • Understand how companies greenwash

  • Identify the ways to stop greenwashing

  • Outline the concept of Greenwashing

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This video is now available for free. It is also part of a premium, accredited video course. Sign up for a 7-day free trial to watch more.

Summary

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is making knowingly false claims about the ESG qualities of a product, project, service or business with the intent to mislead. At best, greenwashing is a by-product of virtue signalling or vacuous marketing. At worst, it’s suppressing information, cynical manipulation, deception; and fraud.

How do companies greenwash?

  • By concealing or using false messaging to disguise poor environmental performance.
  • By claiming their products have positive environmental impacts without data to back it up.
  • By promoting themselves as sustainable or eco-friendly, while only a small proportion of their production actually offers environmental benefits.
  • By using intentionally vague and unclear language to infer ESG benefits.

What can companies do to escape claims of greenwashing?

To escape claims of greenwashing, companies must move towards science-based targets, supported by hard data. Transition must be embedded in formal transition pathways that set out timelines, milestones, actions and expected impacts. Stakeholders need to be regularly updated on performance. In hard-to-abate industry sectors, in particular, transparency is critical, leaving investors to make up their own minds about whether targets and progress towards them are credible.

How can greenwashing be stopped?

Only through open and transparent dialogue will people be made aware first of all that greenwashing is happening, and secondly how it can be recognised, called out and stopped. Over the past few years, we have witnessed an upsurge of debt issued with green, social or sustainable labels. More than $524 billion of ESG bonds and loans were issued between January and mid-May 2021, and some $3.1 trillion in 2020, according to Refinitiv.

A vital part of the transparency story is data capture and standardised disclosure, as well as detailed impact and environmental performance reporting, ideally verified by independent agencies. Having regulated disclosure requirements will be a huge benefit to verification agencies and will relieve them of any guilt by association, moral hazard or complicity if corporate data integrity is in any way compromised.

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Keith Mullin

Keith Mullin

Keith is the founder and director of KM Capital Markets, a media and thought-leadership consultancy. He spent the past 35 years working in specialist capital markets media and has had a ring-side seat at all of the major market events. Prior to setting up KM Capital Markets in 2017, Keith worked at Thomson Reuters.

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