Beyond making “noise”, NGOs are making real impact by influencing companies to act more responsibly.
Amid pressure to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, some companies have made misleading or false claims about their actions or ambitions. In 2023, TotalEnergies made misleading claims related to its “climate-neutral” heating oil. As a result, it had to revise its advertising.
The turnaround by the oil company was triggered by Climate Action Germany. For decades, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have stepped up to “police” companies before other stakeholders did. These activists have been scrutinising companies for signs of greenwashing or any form of environmental and social-washing (E&S-washing). Their campaigns have targeted large, visible companies in industries from fashion to food, and oil and gas.
In fact, in a global survey among sustainability experts, NGOs emerge as the single greatest contributor to sustainable development over the past decades, ahead of financial institutions, institutional investors or governments. However, the impact of their work, campaigns and lobbying is not well understood.
Unearthing untruths
Thanks to the efforts of NGOs over the years, they have produced a wealth of insights, including into what ESG topics companies “wash”, and how, when and where they do it. These insights were not previously documented, especially since holding errant companies accountable can be challenging and long...
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