Greenwashing is rampant as companies try to cash in on consumer demand.

As we have been reporting and as this article discusses, the EU is finalizing its Green Claims Directive (the GCD) and the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (the ECGT) to commence at the beginning of 2025. 

These laws serve as the foundation of other EU laws and standards (including ISO standards that we deliver).

In short – Explicit environmental claims will need to be verified under certification schemes – before being made publicly available or displayed. More specifically, an independent third-party which is not engaged in any activity that may conflict with their judgement or integrity – would need to verify the claim. 

Other governments have passed similar laws that connect certification + 3^rd party verification. 

In effect, if you are making green or environmental or sustainable or eco claims and are not certified and 3^rd party verified under a globally-respected standard, you are deemed to be greenwashing and at risk of lawsuits and fines.

If you want to satisfy consumer demand but not be called out for greenwashing, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

Leading Peers asked Edenark Group CEO, David Goodman, to give this masterclass webinar on Using Sustainability Certification to Differentiate.

We hope you find it beneficial for future decisions for your organization.

Should you have questions, please contact us here.

As we have reported for some time, and as this article explains, if you are part of a supply chain, prepare for your clients to conduct due diligence audits to confirm your environmental sustainability commitment and compliance.

Just saying you are sustainable is not going to satisfy the compliance audits by your clients, as they have their own reporting obligations.  You will need to be verified/certified under a program that is accepted/respected.

Follow the recommendations in this webinar and you will be happy.

97% of large companies have sustainability departments; but many have internally-constructed, non-global-standard-aligned, non-scalable, non-3^rd-party-audited, sustainability programs.  Many of these programs were created to ‘look good’ but not designed to survive the stress test of external accountability.

SMEs have it worse.  Less than 1% of SMEs have sustainability programs of any kind.

As consumer/client (B2B and B2C) demand for sustainability grows, corporations see the financial opportunity and feel the pressure to say they are sustainable.  The more sustainability claims they make, the greater the risk of exaggeration (ie, Greenwashing).

This has caused a rise in the number of greenwashing watchdog agencies, with more staff, to investigate corporate sustainability claims. 

Consumers, also seeing companies greenwashing in response to their demands, are upping their expectations and demanding 3^rd party validation and alignment with globally-recognized programs, to prove a company is doing what it claims. 

Governments, bringing teeth via fines, are creating new laws that require valid proof of sustainability compliance.

That leads us to the question – Is your company greenwashing?  

Per this article, odds are, the answer is ‘yes.’  A survey of 1500 executives in 16 countries around the world, were asked about their sustainability programs –

• 85% reported clients/customers becoming more vocal about sustainability, causing these executives to greenwash in an attempt to capitalize on the demand.
• 72% believe most of their sector peers are greenwashing.

Given the incredible increase in greenwashing (driven by the desire of companies to cash in on consumer demand), the world is taking a more rigid view of claims.

Stated simply, if your company is making a sustainability claim and you are not certified via a globally-respected standard and 3rd party verified, you are greenwashing.

If you are making claims and are not certified/verified, and you wish to correct the problem before you are exposed, watch this webinar and give us a call.

Remember when you were in school and a teacher would let you grade your own test?  The eraser would come out and a C-grade effort became an A-grade score.

Studies show that +70% of CEOs admit their companies are greenwashing in order to mislead you into purchasing their product or service.  If +70% admit to greenwashing, what is the real number – 80%, 90%? 

Some of these companies even self-certify (ie, grade their own test) in order to attempt to justify their environmental claims.  Their argument is that the country they are in has yet to FORCE them to become certified and 3^rd party verified under a recognized global standard….and until forced, why be a leader?  Why not just grade your own test and make whatever claims you want to make?

On the other end of that spectrum are companies like Unlimited Auto Wash that became certified and 3^rd party verified under a globally-respected standard in 2024 and, per this release, has started work on its 2025 renewal.

Is it harder for Unlimited Auto Wash than for those that grade their own tests?  Sure.  But who do you want to buy from?

Most companies have these departmental responsibilities:

• Operations / Finance – Seeks profitability, efficiency, cost reduction
• Marketing / Sales – Seeks differentiation from competition, a talking point that resonates
• HR / Admin – Seeks employee performance, health, happiness

Studies from Nielsen, Harvard Business Review, HP, Deloitte, Fast Company, MIT, BAR, Symbola, NYU/Stern, Forbes, et cetera, tell us:

• The #1 thing your company is seeking is a way to differentiate from the competition, yet your marketing and sales efforts struggle to find a talking point consumers want to hear. Net, you are not maximizing your advertising spend or messaging opportunity;
• Further to your messaging challenge, 75% of Gen X and Gen Y consumers (64% of the world’s population and the future of your business) say sustainability is more important to them than even your brand name. Net, if you want to resonate with the largest buying groups, you need to talk about being sustainable….but don’t Greenwash;
• Further, as to loyalty, 70% of all consumers will move their loyalty and purchases if they find a certified sustainable company offering a similar product. Net, the clock is ticking, as a competitor might start using sustainability against you;
• As to government work, government regulators are adding sustainability to their requirements. Net, being certified sustainable is a powerful advantage to bidding government work and will become a gating item.  You may not directly serve them, but as a sub-vendor, you will be impacted;
• As to serving large organizations, they are replacing existing vendors with certified sustainable vendor options in order to meet their own internal sustainability obligations. Net, same as with government bids, being certified sustainable is a way to take market share;
• As to saturation, +97% of all large organizations have sustainability programs; yet less than 1% of SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises, under US$1b) have sustainability programs. Net, the opportunity to stand out by becoming certified sustainable is greater for SMEs;
• As to your future staff, 9 out of 10 under 40 job candidates want to work for a certified sustainable company and will take less money to do so. Net, being sustainable is a key component to finding and retaining talent;
• As to the performance, health and happiness of your existing staff, every company loses an average of 5% profit per year due to employee insomnia, stress, anxiety, physical pain and mental acuity. If you do not have a program that addresses these, improving the performance, health and happiness of your employees, you are losing an average of $10,000 per full time employee per year.

Is your company addressing all the above?

If not, watch this webinar,as it:

• Helps Operations / Finance enjoy higher profitability, improved efficiency, cost reductions
• Helps Marketing / Sales enjoy differentiation via a talking point the majority of consumers want
• Helps HR / Admin achieve higher employee performance, health and happiness

We are often asked, “What are some of the things you help clients do, to become certified under the Edenark Group ISO 14001 program?”

Item #49 from the Edenark Group Green Team Guide – Paint Away Air Pollution!

Knowing that newly painted walls lift the mood and energize your team, you will, at some point, repaint your organization’s interior and exterior walls.   Why not use a non-toxic, zero-VOC, odor-eliminating, non-animal-tested, Green-certified, Eco-friendly, paint, that absorbs CO2 and also reduces up to 95% of indoor air pollutants?

Edenark Group is a distributor of Smog Armor paint products and we recommend these products to our clients as part of their sustainability certification, carbon neutral and ESG program, as they help you achieve your goals.

It is an easy, fun, smart and safe way to improve a work environment’s visual, emotional, environmental and human-health appeal.

Some people have asked why we uniquely have a ‘people piece’ incorporated in our sustainability program.  In response, we ask – “How can you have a corporate sustainability program and not address the employees?” For most companies, your people are your biggest cost, biggest risk, biggest time commitment and biggest opportunity.  If we can help your people become happier, healthier and more productive, not only are they more efficient and costs go down, but they are more willing to help others and help the planet.

The Big 5 (insomnia, stress, anxiety, physical pain and mental acuity) collectively cause your company to lose around 5% of your annual GNP, or about $10,000 per year per full time employee.

This CNN article talks about dementia risk rising if you live with chronic pain, such as cancer, arthritis, back pain, neck pain, nerve pain, et cetera.

Further, if you have chronic pain in multiple locations (ie, both knees), your risk rises significanty.

Sleeping less than 6 hours in midlife raises the risk of dementia by 30%.

In the US, 20% of all adults live with long-lasting pain, impacting their risk of dementia.  Other countries have similar studies.

There are not many of us who do not know someone suffering from dementia.  This is a global problem.

This is why we have A Better World Starts With Me and Gym For The Brain as part of our service.  We address the Big 5 and help individuals become happier, healthier and more productive.  In turn, this helps your company. 

The unemployment rate in the US is at 4.1%.  The EU is roughly 6%.

How do you find, hire and retain workers in a sellers market?

This article in the New York Post reports on this study and is consistent with other studies we have reported.  Key points

• Almost two-thirds of respondents stated they were more likely to apply to a job for a company that committed to sustainable practices.
• Three out of five respondents said they avoid employers they perceive as having a negative impact on the environment.
• 54% of respondents said that sustainability played a role in their motivation to work remotely.

Simple math – If you are looking to hire and 60% of the possible candidates will avoid you if they perceive your company is a negative impact on the environment, your hiring effort will be negatively impacted.

Sure, you can mask it.  But once they learn the truth, and they quit, the cost to you will be greater than had they not taken the position in the first place.

The Under 40 worker wants to work for a company that can prove it cares about the environment.  The Under 26 worker has an even higher expectation of same.

Those are the workers that are the future of your company.

If want an advantage hiring and retaining workers, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

2024 is 75% behind us!

We all forecasted a budget for the year.

Some of us are confident….and some of us are scratching our heads, wondering where the plan went wrong.

Per this study by University of California at Riverside, brands committed to sustainability are growing 4x faster than their non-sustainable peers.  NYU/Stern says it is 7x.  Symbola says 20x.

Further, 66% of consumers say they will pay more for sustainable brands. 

What would higher prices and 4x sales have done for your 2024 plans?

What could it do for your 2025 plan?

If this sounds interesting, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.