Environmental Claims Research Articles

An overview of labelling and environmental claims on fish and seafood products in New Zealand supermarkets

Fish and other seafood are a major component of New Zealanders’ diet; the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 New Zealand Health Survey found that nearly three quarters of New Zealanders eat seafood at least once a week(1). Environmental and ethical factors influence New Zealand consumers’ purchase of seafood and consumers prefer to get their information about seafood at the point of purchase(2). However, environmental claims are not regulated under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, unlike health and nutrition claims. Some seafood products are certified by programmes (e.g. Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP)), ensuring the seafood was sourced according to specific criteria related to environmental management, but other products carry self-declared environmental claims that have not been independently verified. This study aimed to describe labelling practices, including environmental claims, on fish and seafood packaged products sold in major New Zealand supermarkets and available in the 2022 Nutritrack database. Nutritrack is an annual survey conducted by trained fieldworkers who take photographs of all packaged food and beverage products displaying a nutrition information panel (NIP) from 4 major supermarkets in New Zealand. Information from the photographs, including the NIP and the ingredients list is entered into the Nutritrack database. For this study, data (including fish species, harvest location, processing country, fishing method, environmental certifications and self-declared environmental claims) were extracted from the archived photographs of all sides of the packaged fish and seafood products in the 2022 Nutritrack database. Self-declared environmental claims were assessed against the ISO 14021 standard for “Environmental labels and declarations — Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling)” on specific criteria that were relevant for seafood products, including if the self-declared claim mentioned the word “sustainable” (as this term is difficult to substantiate and should be avoided); was vague and non-specific; or overstated the benefits (to imply multiple benefits from a single environmental change). There were 369 fish and seafood products included in this study. Eighty-eight products (23.8%) displayed a certification; the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification (MSC) for wild fish was the most common and was featured by 72 products (19.5%). One hundred and fifty-two products (41.2%) displayed at least one self-declared claim. Thirty-three distinct self-declared environmental claims were identified, 16 (48.5%) of which breached the ISO 14021 standard for environmental declarations because they used the term “sustainable” and 26 (78.8%) of which breached the ISO 14021 standard because they were vague. This analysis suggests that stricter regulation is needed for self-declared environmental claims on fish and other seafood products available for purchase in New Zealand, to prevent greenwashing and to provide consumers transparent, accurate and substantiated information.

Processed vegan food packaging: influencing vegan diet and lifestyle consumption choices

As the demand for plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs) continues to surge globally, understanding the marketing strategies that drive consumer choice becomes imperative(1). This research project, part of a larger study at Massey University, explores the design and packaging of vegan food products, specifically focusing on processed PBMAs and how this influences vegan diet consumption choices in New Zealand vegans. We examined the packaging of vegan processed food available in New Zealand supermarkets and those promoted online, with a focus on processed PBMAs. This informed the development of an online survey including: demographics, motivations for following a vegan diet, and questions related to perceptions and preferences about vegan diets and processed PBMA packaging. The survey was offered to individuals who had previously participated in vegan research at Massey University and followed a strict vegan diet. There were 235 participants of whom 198 completed the survey. This consisted of primarily females (n = 156, 74%) and individuals of New Zealand European descent (n = 159, 71%), aged 18 to 76 years (37.8 ± 12.3). The participants had varying durations of following a vegan diet, with the largest group (n = 87, 42%) adopting it for 5 to 10 years. The primary motivation for following a vegan diet was animal welfare (n = 205), followed by environmental concerns (n = 189) and health (n = 175). Participants were able to select more than one option, suggesting there are often multiple reasons for choosing to follow a vegan diet. Factors influencing purchase decisions for PBMAs included nutrient claims on packaging, with protein having the highest positive influence. Environmental concerns also played a significant role, with eco-friendly packaging and positive environmental claims being important. Packaging images, particularly of the final prepared product, had a significantly positive impact on purchasing decisions (4.12 ± 0.78) where 1 represented a negative influence and 5 represented a positive influence on a Likert Scale. The majority sometimes, or always checked the nutrition information panel (n = 167, 85%) and examined the ingredients (n = 191, 98%). Participants reported concern about the nutritional value of processed PBMAs (n = 94), and reported that they are aware that these foods are classified as ‘ultra-processed (n = 91). This research provides valuable insights into the reasons people choose vegan diets and what influences their choices when it comes to purchasing PBMAs. It highlights the significance of marketing strategies in the plant-based meat alternatives industry. However, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of this evolving market, further research is necessary. Future research should consider a wider range of demographics and regional distinctions to better understand how consumer preferences in plant-based diets are changing. This should also include looking at how the market is maturing, with buyers becoming more aware of things like nutrients and the processing of food, which can impact the sustainable food choices individuals make.

CONSUMERS’ OPINIONS ON THE USEFULNESS, UNDERSTANDABILITY, AND RELIABILITY OF PRODUCT CLAIMS ON NATURAL COSMETICS PACKAGING

Packaging and its integral elements can be among the carriers of product claims, which often encourage consumers to purchase cosmetics, and many make purchasing decisions based on them. There is, therefore, a tendency to put an increasing number of claims on packaging; these, according to requirements, should be useful, understandable, and reliable. This article aims to determine the importance of information placed on packaging during the purchase of natural cosmetics in comparison with other packaging elements, and to assess the usefulness, understandability, and reliability of selected groups of product claims placed on natural cosmetics packaging. The results confirm that the information placed on the packaging of natural cosmetics is an important element to which consumers pay attention. The most useful, understandable, and reliable claims are performance claims, ingredient-related claims, and environmental claims.

Právní regulace související s výrobky v kontextu cílů Evropské unie v oblasti ochrany klimatu

This paper examines how objectives of the European Union in the field of climate change affect the legal regulation of products and what impacts they also have on some connected issues. The current ecodesign legal regulation is based on the Ecodesign Directive and the particular requirements on products are then set in regulations following the Ecodesign Directive. The paper primarily focuses on the changes in ecodesign product regulation brought by the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation proposal. The issue of the proposed legal regulation connected with environmental claims is also addressed in the text as it is an important complement to the sustainable products legal regulation.

Greenwashing's Influence on Corporate Performance and Strategies for Regulation and Oversight

Greenwashing, the deceptive practice of presenting a misleading impression of a firm's environmental practices, has become a critical issue in corporate sustainability. This research explores the impact of greenwashing on corporate performance and examines strategies for regulating and overseeing greenwashing practices. Through a comprehensive review of literature, we identify the detrimental effects of greenwashing on firms, including reputational damage and loss of consumer trust. We propose several strategies for regulating greenwashing, including enhancing transparency, implementing stricter guidelines for environmental claims, and promoting third-party verification of environmental initiatives. By implementing these strategies, firms can improve their sustainability practices and regain consumer trust.

Perceived greenwashing and its impact on eco-friendly product purchase

Notwithstanding the increasing commitment of managers toward environmental sustainability, consumer skepticism remains widespread, often resulting in perceptions of greenwashing. Although greenwashing has been studied by researchers, there is a lack of understanding of how consumers' Perceived greenwashing affects their consumption behavior. The current study aims to investigate how perceived greenwashing impacts consumers’ purchasing behavior of environmentally friendly products. The study used the “theory of planned behavior” and the “theory of perceived risk”. For data analysis, SmartPLS3 was employed. Results confirm that the perceived greenwashing leads to a decrease in the attitude, purchase intention, and purchase behavior of eco-friendly products. Both perceived risk and perceived differentiation also were found to influence purchase intention. These findings confirm the negative impact of greenwashing perception on consumer behavior and highlight the need for transparency and clear environmental claims in product communication.

From Aisles to Ethics: Investigating the Role of Green Advertising in Shaping Consumer Behavior

Green advertising has piqued the attention of scholars as consumers and business organizations have become more concerned about environmental protection and green practices in recent years. However, many customers consider that there is a general lack of confidence and trust in advertising, particularly when it comes to environmental needs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of green advertising (Green messages, eco-labeling, and environmental claims) on consumer purchase behavior of supermarket shoppers in Akure south local government, Ondo state. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, while a simple random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and eighty-five (185) respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for the analysis of data collected through the administration of a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The findings revealed green messages, eco-labeling, and environmental claims have significant effects on consumer purchase behavior. The study concluded that green advertising had a significant effect on consumer purchase behavior. The study recommended that companies should incorporate green messages and obtain recognized eco-label certifications to attract environmentally conscious consumers and gain a competitive edge.

Driving the Ecological Transition of Agriculture through Voluntary Certification of Environmental Impacts: An Exploratory Literature Review on the Olive-Oil Sector

Human population growth has resulted in increased food consumption, followed by agrifood production intensification. Human activities have a significant impact on the environment, causing, among other things, air and water pollution and biodiversity degradation. In an international context where there is strong concern about environmental issues, it is also necessary to direct food production towards more sustainable models. In this context, the use of frameworks for certifying the environmental footprint of agrifood products can be a lever to promote sustainable production and consumption. The objective of this paper is to explore the opportunities for certifying the environmental footprint of products, focusing in particular on some of the main environmental claims: global warming, water depletion, and biodiversity loss. The olive sector was selected as a case study since it is the major tree crop in the Mediterranean countries, and it has strong impacts on human health and the environment. We employed a literature review in the SCOPUS database and the knowledge of experts in the main environmental certification sectors. The study revealed the possibility of adopting various mitigation strategies and improving environmental performance, while also pursuing certain market objectives related to certified products.

Unveiling greenwashing in Colombian manufacturing: A machine learning approach

Greenwashing is the misleading use of environmental claims to market non-eco-friendly products, a growing concern as environmentally conscious consumers seek eco-friendly options. This study aims to identify factors that allow the detection of “greenwashing” practices in Colombian companies across various industrial sectors holding certifications such as ISO14001, the Colombian environmental seal, the district environmental excellence program, or international/regional environmental certifications. We employed a quantitative, cross-sectional methodology using three machine learning algorithms (Decision Tree Classification, Random Forest, Logistic Regression) and the double machine learning technique to identify causal effects and significant variables. Additionally, a greenwashing indicator was formulated, considering two variables: (a) Presence of a comprehensive solid waste management plan, and (b) Presence of a water usage and conservation program. Our findings reveal substantial variations in the adoption of environmental management practices across diverse industrial sectors and regions in Colombia. It is noteworthy that our research emphasizes that: (i) companies with an environmental contingency plan and a monitoring program are less likely to engage in greenwashing; (ii) expenses for personnel dedicated to environmental protection activities and the investment and expenses related to air and climate protection also reduce the likelihood of greenwashing; (iii) companies in the manufacturing of non-metallic mineral products sector are more likely to engage in greenwashing. It was also found that a significant proportion of Colombian industrial companies with environmental certifications do not fully embrace sustainable practices, implying limited effectiveness of environmental certifications in the country (56,09%). This research contributes to the taxonomy of greenwashing by delving into various types identified in the literature. It sheds light on selective disclosure, emphasizing that mere certification without tangible actions can constitute greenwashing. The broadened concept of decoupling now includes not only meeting shareholder expectations but also failing to meet those set by certifications. Attention deflection involves diverting focus toward certifications rather than real investments in environmental practices. Deceptive manipulation occurs when certifications create a misleading perception without concrete actions. Additionally, dubious authorizations and labels are revealed, showcasing the vulnerability of eco-labels to fraud. The study enriches existing categories, viewing certifications as potential instruments for greenwashing, reinforcing the need for substantial, measurable actions to validate sustainability claims.

“A game show at the end of the world” The currency of youth in UN climate summitry

ABSTRACT What do the lived experiences of young people tell us about the currency of youth in United Nations (UN) climate summitry, at a time in which youth is endowed with symbolic capital? Initially, self-representing as ‘youth’ in and around UN climate summits appears to open doors for young people, particularly since the creation of additional youth engagement mechanisms that followed the 2019 Fridays for Future protests. Based on four years of fieldwork, this article shows that youth can be both a limited and limiting currency in global climate politics. Indeed, the currency is finite, leading different youth groups to compete for speaking slots and visibility. Further, an increasing amount of young people have come to realize that youth is a limiting currency to advocate for environmental justice claims. These findings, which would not have been possible without an ethnographic and collaborative approach, contribute to existing calls challenging the ways that theory, research, and practice are oriented toward young people in climate politics.

Commentary: On theory, data, and interpreting results in political CSR research: Reflecting on “Do firms put their money where their mouth is? Sociopolitical claims and corporate political activity”

In examining whether firms align their sociopolitical claims with their corporate political activities (CPA), Preuss and Max (2023) tackle a topic of keen interest to the Accounting, Organizations and Society (AOS), corporate social responsibility (CSR), and broader interdisciplinary accounting research communities. They document partial alignment between firms' diversity and environmental claims and the voting records of U.S. Congress members they financially support through political action committee (PAC) contributions, but also report several important caveats. Given that firm strategies on CSR and CPA often are played on ‘two (different) chessboards’ (Den Hond, Rehbein, de Bakker, & Lankveld, 2014), a study such as theirs is difficult to accomplish successfully. I applaud their efforts and believe the objective of their study was met. In my commentary, I use their study as a springboard to discuss key considerations regarding theory, data, and the interpretation of results when performing political CSR research in accounting.

Greenwashing Unveiled: The Truth Behind Eco-Labels in India

Greenwashing, the practice of making misleading or exaggerated environmental and sustainability claims, has become a significant challenge in India’s rapidly growing market for sustainable goods. As consumer demand for eco-friendly products increases, greenwashing complicates purchasing decisions, erodes consumer trust, and hampers genuine progress towards sustainability. Hence, this paper delves into the complexities of greenwashing in the Indian consumer market, where companies frequently exploit green rhetoric without implementing real changes in their operations. Through detailed case studies, this research highlights how misleading claims distort consumer perceptions and undermine broader environmental efforts. In addition, the paper explores the role of eco-labels, certifications, and trademarks as critical safeguards against greenwashing. When properly regulated and enforced, these mechanisms can offer verifiable assurances of a company’s environmental practices and promote transparency. However, their success depends on the development of a comprehensive framework that includes rigorous oversight and consumer awareness. By uncovering the nuances of greenwashing, this paper ultimately aims to deepen the understanding of the practice in India and contribute to more effective sustainability initiatives.

The Idea of Equality in Environmental Ethics

In recent decades, it has often been argued by environmental ethicists that human beings and the natural world ought to be considered as equals in some basic sense. The aim of this paper is to make sense of this view by examining what role, if any, the idea of equality ought to play in environmental ethics. Specifically, we have two aims: the first aim is to identify those environmental claims that are distinctively egalitarian. The second aim is to show these claims do not rest on a principled and convincing justification. Our main contention is therefore that equality has no place in environmental ethics. There are other promising ways to argue that our relationship with the natural environment must be fundamentally revised. By bringing clarity to this debate and dispelling the possibility of equality-based arguments, we hope to contribute to this endeavor.

Perception of Millennials towards Eco-Friendly Products in Kathmandu Valley

This study aims to analyse the effect of various influencing factors on the perception of millennials towards eco-friendly products in Kathmandu Valley. The study is quantitative and descriptive and conducted using primary sources of data. It has adopted the mono-method, whereby survey and statement type questions have been used to analyse quantitative data. A non-probabilistic sampling technique has been used in this research with a sample size of 384. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA test, correlation analysis, reliability testing, and regression analysis. The influencing variables considered are interest in the protection of the environment, reusability, consumer Greendex/ green attitude, concern for health, subjective norms and social influence, trust in green product, perceived quality of green product and environmental advertising. The results show that there is a positive correlation between all the influencing factors and millennials’ perception towards eco-friendly products. Environmental advertising has created the highest impact on the millennials’ perception by analysing the beta coefficient. Overall, the finding suggests that the concerned authorities, policymakers, producers/manufacturers and marketers of eco-friendly products should focus more on promoting the products using environmental claims, attributes, structures, rules, and tactics so that millennials’ perception towards green purchase can be positively influenced.

Japanese Climate Litigation and the Development of Personal Rights

Abstract Since climate change was recognised as a global concern, there has been a growing number of climate-related cases around the world. While the development of climate litigation in Japan is often overlooked in the academic literature, Japanese citizens in fact have instituted four lawsuits that all aim to stop the construction and operation of coal-fired power plants, as the use of coal in the power generation sector is primarily responsible for the total emissions of greenhouse gases in Japan. Accordingly, this article aims to introduce the recent climate-related cases and to show how human rights-based concepts are utilized with the intention of incorporating environmental claims. More specifically, the development of the concept of personal rights (Jinkaku-ken, 人格権) is discussed, primarily by examining the arguments made in the tort law-based climate cases.

Is It Greenwashing? Environmental Compensation Claims in Advertising, Perceived Greenwashing, Political Consumerism, and Brand Outcomes

Companies increasingly employ environmental compensation claims in their advertisements. This practice, however, has been criticized as being a form of greenwashing. In two studies, we examined associations between the exposure to abstract and concrete compensation claims, consumers’ perceived greenwashing, environmental boycotting and buycotting intentions, and brand evaluation as well as purchase intentions. Further, we investigated the moderating role of consumers’ environmental knowledge. In Study 1, findings from a two-wave panel survey (N W2 = 511) indicated that exposure to abstract compensation claims was positively related to perceived greenwashing, whereas exposure to concrete compensation claims was not. Environmental knowledge did not influence perceptions of greenwashing in either claim. Using experimental data, Study 2 (N = 423) showed that concrete compensation claims can also lead to perceived greenwashing but to a lesser extent than abstract ones. Furthermore, environmental knowledge helped consumers detect greenwashing in both claims. In both studies, perceived greenwashing positively predicted consumers’ intention to join environmental boycotts but not buycotts. In addition, Study 2 showed that perceived greenwashing was negatively associated with purchase intentions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

When Environmental Claims are Empty Promises: How Greenwashing Affects Corporate Reputation and Credibility

ABSTRACT This article examines mechanisms and effects of greenwashing on corporate reputation and credibility. We define greenwashing as the perception of a discrepancy between what an organization claims to do in terms of protecting the environment and what the organization actually does in this respect. In two experiments, we vary a company’s promises of green engagement. Afterward, participants are confronted with the company’s actual green engagement. The studies show that if a company claims to be green, its reputation and credibility are assessed more positively. However, the experiments also demonstrate that false green promises backfire: If the green promises are not kept, participants assess the company’s reputation and credibility more negatively as opposed to a group that evaluates a company without any false promises. Furthermore, both experiments provide insight into the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects: Participants’ expectations are violated which leads to a perception of greenwashing and, in turn, worsens the perception of the company’s reputation and credibility.

The Sufficient Accuracy of Green Claims Used in Marketing

The article discusses green claims used in marketing, and how such claims can be made with sufficient accuracy as required by EU law. The article is based on the author’s Bachelor’s thesis, which examines the factors that affect the assessment of the matter. The article is limited to discussing about marketing communications and other communications given to the consumer in support of the environmental claim and accompanied by space restrictions imposed by the media used. The research methods used in this article are legal dogmatics and comparative law, the former focusing on the interpretation of EU law in the Finnish legal system and the latter focusing on the Swedish Patent and Market Court. Legal dogmatics is used to assess how the question of accuracy is more specifically formed according to current law. Meanwhile, comparative law is used to find support for the legal guidelines that can be interpreted from the Finnish Consumer Ombudsman’s rulings. After the introduction, the article defines the terms green claim and average consumer as the basis for the assessment of green claims. It defines when green claims can be considered to be prohibited greenwashing. Greenwashing is not a concept defined in legislation or other sources of law, but a generic word used in research to signify possibly illegal conduct. Next, the article looks into the key marketing regulations concerning the subject. Lastly, the article concentrates on the authority guidelines and rulings by the Finnish and Swedish Consumer Ombudsman. The article concludes that if the green claim is found to be ambiguous, additional information about its veracity should be located in a “close proximity” to the claim. On the basis of the recent rulings, it is unclear what “close proximity” means. When assessing the distance, the means of communication and the nature of marketing should be considered. Therefore, it should be taken into consideration whether the marketing is about a specific consumer good, or rather about general image marketing. However, in a digital setting, it is clear that the information cannot be located several “clicks” away from the claim.

A matter of alignment? Effects of product types and environmental claim framing on consumer evaluation of sustainable foods

AbstractDespite a growing interest in environmentally sustainable practices, consumers continue to prioritize taste, quality, and price above environmental concerns when purchasing food products. Previous studies have shown that environmental claims or messages may not uniformly enhance product perceptions. This research examines strategic approaches to framing substantively identical environmental benefit claims differently across product types to enhance consumers' sensory and quality evaluations as well as their willingness‐to‐pay for sustainable foods. Results from two experiments show that consumers' assessments of sustainable utilitarian and hedonic food products can be enhanced if environmental claims are strategically framed in accordance with the nature of product types. The alignment of utilitarian food products with an environment‐focus frame that emphasizes environmental benefits and hedonic food products with a self‐focus frame that stresses the personal relevance of these protections and benefits can enhance consumers' experienced tastiness, quality evaluations, and willingness‐to‐pay for sustainable foods.

Combating Greenwashing Tactics and Embracing the Economic Success of Sustainability

Green Washing refers to the deceptive practice of making a company or its products appear more environmentally friendly than they genuinely are, often to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for sustainable and eco-conscious choices. Eliminating Green Washing is essential for the development of sustainable business practises and for safeguarding customers from fraudulent, greenwashed promises. The paper seeks to bridge theory and practise by offering an analysis of ten firms accused of greenwashing. Thus, the paper considers deliberate organisational and communicative practises that go beyond greenwashing's most obvious forms. Based on these instances, prevalent communication blunders and corporate misconduct behaviours in corporate sustainability are exposed. A strong legislative framework is urgently needed to make sure that businesses that make false environmental claims are held accountable and subject to severe fines to have a deterrent impact. Better consumer education and knowledge about the problem of "green washing" and how to spot it are also necessary. Businesses can adopt third-party certification programmes and independent audits. Companies should endeavour to be upfront and honest in their environmental claims, prioritise sustainability, and encourage good governance to avoid "greenwashing."