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Showing posts from January, 2022

Greenwashing: Why it happens, what it looks like and how we can prevent it from happening?

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In 2015, the US environmental protection agency (EPA) found that VW motors had violated the clean air act by equipping over 500,000 new vehicles with a “defeat device”, a form of computer software that would allow the cars to cheat federal emissions tests. VW had trouble designing vehicles that could meet the stricter EPA emission standards introduced in 2004 (BBC 2015).    They chose instead to save money by designing a system that could cheat the tests and did this while preaching the message of “low emissions” and more eco-friendly vehicles to capitalise on customers looking for more sustainable products.   VW is one of many companies to have used the process of Greenwashing, defined as “the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading formation about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound (Investopedia 2022). - Greenwashing (Noyes 2021)   Why do companies green wash?    Not appearing sustainable in todays market will quickly make a company a blac

Sustainable Supply chains: The challenges and potential

Supply chains: A Great Green  Opportunity   Supply chains in my opinion are the one of the most, if not the most important function of business in todays markets. Supply chain shocks such the COVID 19, to the Suez Canal Bottleneck and Brexit created Billions in losses for companies and consumers.   And when you factor in the environment, you see how this is an area of concern. BCG wrote that 8 global supply chains are responsible for 50% of greenhouse emissions. These are centred around every day commodities such as food and raw manufacturing materials.  However, this isn't to say that firms are operating in unsustainable ways like they did in the pre 2000s.  Apparel companies like Nike and Adidas have regularly been in the news for questionable ethical and environmental practices when producing their goods but have made great strides in recent years to clean up their act, look to the Nike FlyKnit and AdidasFuture Loop product offering.   Therefore despite these issues, there is gr