Tag: Securities and Exchange Commission

Deceptive Companies ‘Greenwash’ to Raise Profit Margins

DECEPTIVE COMPANIES ‘GREENWASH’ TO RAISE PROFIT MARGINS

By: Hannah Russell

As consumers grow increasingly eco-conscious, governmental agencies in the EU and US begin to crack down on corporate “greenwashing.” Modern consumers demand a variety of clean, eco-friendly products to reduce their carbon footprints.[1] These products range from compostable trash bags and nontoxic hand soaps to electric cars and carbon-neutral flights. Patagonia and Levi’s are two examples of pioneers in sustainable business that meet eco-conscious demands and elevate the environmental movement.[2] However, while some enterprises genuinely believe that conscious consumerism deserves a place in business, other companies see environmentalism as the new, trendy marketing platform with the potential to raise profit margins.[3] These companies, such as Daimler AG and Walmart, reel in and mislead eco-conscious consumers by “greenwashing” their merchandise and services.[4]

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SEC Commissioner Calls for More Robust Climate Reporting

While the devastating effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic take center stage, another worldwide crisis “looms even larger than the pandemic and could have even more grave human and economic costs than those we have witnessed these last eight months.”[1]

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Allison Herren Lee addressed the threat of climate change on financial markets during her keynote remarks at the Practising Law Institute’s 52nd Annual Institute on Securities Regulation earlier this month.[2] Commissioner Lee—a Trump appointee—implored attendees to take climate change seriously, even while the crisis may appear to be an abstract threat to some.[3]

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