Greenwashing: Automobiles
Source: https://earth.org/greenwashing-products/
Author: jane Marsh
You often see deceptive trade-offs in the automobile industry when companies use the “lesser of two evils” strategy. They promote a product as more eco-friendly than a competitor’s, but the bar can be so low that the comparison loses relevance. A “fuel-efficient” vehicle might indeed have greater fuel efficiency than its competitor, but that doesn’t mean anything if both cars still cause substantial harm to the environment. The same logic applies to gas and fuel companies. BP implemented “low-carbon energy products” and added solar panels to gas stations, but that didn’t put a dent in the company’s oil and gas expenditures. Similarly, ExxonMobil said its experimental algae biofuels could reduce travel emissions, but failed to disclose its own emissions in its 2025 sustainability goals outline.