Good morning!
This is the final newsletter of the UC3M Strategic Management course 2021/22.
As you have noticed in previous newsletters, many companies have “talked the talk” about sustainability but so far, they have yet “to walk the walk”. There are even many companies that use a “greenwash” strategy. You may check Strategic Management and Sustainability #10) where “Greenwashing refers to a strategy by which actors seek to create an image of ecological responsibility through the targeted dissemination of disinformation.”
In today’s newsletter, Julia Kuzovkova offers tips to avoid greenwashing.
“Structure follows strategy”, that’s why when we talk about sustainability strategy, to help “to walk the walk”, some companies are creating new structures and positions, such as “the Chief Sustainability Officer” (you can check in Strategic Management and Sustainability #32 which of the companies mentioned there already has a CSO). On the other side, CSO can be an example of modern career path as Julia Kuzovkova also explains below.
And we reached the end ... although soon we may announce another project.
I take this opportunity to thank all the students of the UC3M Strategic Management course for having participated in this collaborative knowledge creation project. In addition to generating knowledge around sustainability, we have built a sense of community beyond individual or group work.
Wishing you and your loved ones, happy holidays and a happy new year, full of health!
Sincerely,
Gloria Álvarez Hernández
Today's newsletter is 788 words, about a 4.5-minute read.
GREEN WASHING 101
Julia Kuzovkova
Greenwashing might sound clean, but it's a dirty business practice.
Greenwashing is when a company or organization spends more time and money on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than on minimizing their environmental impact. It is a deceitful advertising gimmick intended to mislead consumers who prefer to buy goods and services from environmentally conscious brands.
Sustainability Tipps: How to avoid greenwashing
With the belief that consumer demand for sustainability is the frontier of our transition to a greener, fairer and smarter global economy, Futerra's 2015 Selling Sustainability Report outlines 10 basic brand marketing tactics to avoid.
Fluffy language: Words or terms with no clear meaning (e.g., "eco-friendly") • Green products vs. dirty company: For example, efficient light bulbs made in a factory that pollutes rivers
Suggestive pictures: Images that give an (unjustified) green impression (e.g., flowers blooming from exhaust pipes)
Irrelevant claims: Emphasis on one tiny green attribute when everything else is anti green
"Best-in-class" boasts: Declaration that you are slightly greener than the rest, even if the rest are pretty terrible
Designations that are just not credible: For instance, the "greening" of a dangerous product to make it seem safe ("eco-friendly" cigarettes, anyone?)
Gobbledygook: Jargon and information that only a scientist could check or understand
Imaginary friends: A label that looks like a third-party endorsement … except it's made up
No proof: A claim that could be right but has no evidence
Outright lies: Totally fabricated claims or data
Source: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10946-greenwashing.html Picture: https://eugreendeal.news/green-washing-lavado-verde/
Chief Sustainability Officer – Modern Career Path
Julia Kuzovkova
What does it mean to be a Sustainability Officer?
In the last two decades, businesses have begun to prioritize environmental concerns when producing goods or offering services. A sustainability officer (also known as a CSO, or chief sustainability officer) is a person who studies and forecasts a company's or institution's prospects, current stability, and environmental effect. The sustainability officer establishes policy, goals, and objectives to ensure that the company maintains, if not improves, productivity and profitability while also adhering to and exceeding environmental regulations.
What does a Sustainability Officer do?
The sustainability officer's job is to keep track of the company's profitability, personnel, environmental perspective, and other elements that influence its operation. He or she is directly responsible to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or a management team. The sustainability officer's job entails direct contact with the majority, if not all, of the people
involved in the manufacturing process. The position demands someone who is committed to lowering the company's carbon impact, in addition to adhering to government-imposed environmental standards. The profession has several facets and allows you to be engaged in practically every aspect of manufacturing.
What is the workplace of a Sustainability Officer like?
The office of a sustainability officer is located throughout the organization. In order to give 'white papers' or reports to the CEO or executive team members, personnel are questioned while qualitative and quantitative data is gathered. Reports are generated every three months or every quarter. When the sustainability officer is not collecting data, he or she usually has a private office suite where he or she can examine pertinent data and produce reports.
Source: https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/sustainability-officer/#what-is-the workplace-of-a-sustainability-officer-like
Picture: https://www.odgersberndtson.com/es-es/publicaciones/could-you-cut-it-as-a chief-sustainability-officer