Greenwash

One way for corporations to show they care about the environment, even if they don't care enough to make major changes to their business practices, is to donate money to an environmental group or to sponsor an environmental project. Companies which fund cash-starved environmental groups believe "the imprimatur of activists will go a long way in improving their reputation among environmentally aware consumers." However they do not necessarily support the aims of the groups they fund.

Companies which have sponsored US groups such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Nature Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation have also been sponsoring several anti-environmental groups (Bleifuss 1995a, p. 3). RTZ a mining multinational that operates polluting mines in third world countries donates money to the National Trust, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, and the Council for Environmental Conservation (the Environmental Council). Shell, which manufactured the pesticide Aldrin that is now banned in the US, was subject to an international boycott when it planned to dump the Brent Spar oil drilling platform into the sea, and which has operated controversial oil operations in Nigeria, gives about £200,000 to environmental organisations each year (Jenkins 1990, p. 19).

Many environmental groups accept the money because they believe that "private sector cash can increase an organisation's clout and bankroll membership building programs." (Rauber 1994, p. 48) However, such arrangements also enable corporations to get valuable information about environmental groups and how they work and think; information that will help them oppose the goals of the environmental groups (Bleifuss 1995a, p. 3).

Such donations can also have the additional benefit of coopting and corrupting environmentalists. Public relations practitioners have observed that environmental groups are "favoring cooperation rather than confrontation" more and more (Greenberg 1993). O'Dwyer's PR Service Report explains how wealthy companies can coopt environmental groups with donations and job offers. Corporations can win approval from environmental organisations, or at the very least a blind eye, through donations to these organisations.

Consultancies and perks for individual environmentalists also work wonders for getting a favourable hearing. For example, in 1993 Public Relations Journal reported how Ciba-Geigy had arranged for a tour of Europe for US environmentalists, academics, journalists and others to study European industrial waste management programmes. Environmentalists were recruited from the 10 largest environmental groups in the US as well as state and grassroots groups. The stated aim of the study tour was to bring together the various stakeholders, provide them with up-to-date information and encourage a dialogue between them and Ciba Geigy. "To avoid the perception that the tour was biased in any way" Ciba arranged for the tour to be funded by non industry sources as well as itself and for others to be involved in the organising and planning of the tour. For Ciba Geigy the tour successfully improved relations with the environmentalists and others. (Flynn 1993)

In Sydney, a besieged water and sewerage authority with a reputation for secrecy and deception, attempted to improve its image through funding environmentalists to review its operations and plans. The funds were sufficient to employ a number of people, full time, and it even paid these groups to prepare a formal application for the funds. Four groups were funded, Friends of the Earth, the National Parks Association, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, and the Total Environment Centre.

The groups involved were assured that they were free to say whatever they wanted in their reports and that they would have free access to Water Board documents. In October 1994, the groups under the umbrella name of The Sydney Water Project published a series of leaflets for comment by the public. These leaflets had a striking resemblance to Water Board fact sheets (produced in earlier years) in tone and style, albeit on recycled paper. They were bland and criticisms of the Board were weak and tentative.

Increasingly business people are seeing the advantages of working out deals with environmental groups. James Harris, a vice president of Hill and Knowlton and also a member of the Sierra Club's national Public Affairs Advisory Committee puts it this way:

For the environmental groups, working with corporations offers a ready source of funds and a chance to influence their behaviour. For corporations, environmental groups offer the opportunity to obtain positive publicity and gain access to group members, who tend to be better educated and more affluent than the general public. They also provide credibility, which can be particularly valuable...In political coalitions, environmental groups can provide substantial clout, with their large memberships and lobbying expertise.(Harris 1992, p. 24)

Bruce Harrison, in his 1993 book Going Green: How to Communicate your Company's Environmental Commitment, advises companies that "choosing green partners at the community level is without doubt the best strategy to improve your standing." (p. 190) Such relationships certainly pay off for industry. McDonalds now has one of the best environmental 'images' of any US corporation after forming a partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund. The Audubon Society approved of Mobil drilling for oil under an Audubon bird sanctuary, their representative explaining: "Conservationists have just got to learn to work with industry." (quoted in Bleifuss 1995a, p. 4)

One employee of Hill and Knowlton gives advice to corporations: "Help them raise money... Offer to sit on their board of directors". He also suggests hiring staff from environmental groups who are available "at very reasonable rates" (Rauber 1994, p. 48). Top environmentalists may be more expensive. When Burson-Marsteller hired the former chairman of Friends of the Earth in the UK, Des Wilson, as director of public affairs and crisis management he was "reckoned to be one of the highest paid people in PR" (Anon. 1993).

PR consultant Philip Lesly (1992) argues that activists are people who are "disappointed with their small roles [in society]; so they have the time, the inclination and the opportunity to attack the structure" (p. 329). He suggests that the best way to deal with such people is to give them a role:

If a group has legitimate arguments and shows it has a sound approach, enlist its leaders. Often they will make great contributions as employees. They might be retained as consultants. Or they may become active in a new working group you set up jointly. (p. 330)

Stauber and Rampton, who edit PR Watch, point out that hiring activists is a "crude but effective way to derail potentially meddlesome activists" (1995/96, p. 20). There are numerous examples of activists who now work for the industries they once opposed. For example, Paul Gilding, formerly executive director of Greenpeace International, does consultancy work for big business and bodies such as the Queensland Timber Board (Macken 1996).

...back to top

Anon., (1993) 'Wilson's open version of PR', Marketing, 20 May: 23.

Bleifuss, Joel, (1995) 'Covering the Earth with "Green PR"', PR Watch, vol. 2, no. 1: 1-7.

Flynn, John M., (1993) 'European site inspection opens dialogue among wary stakeholders', Public Relations Journal, vol. 49, no. 5: 26-28.

Greenberg, Keith Elliot, (1993) 'Practitioners pick top environmental trends of '90s'', Public Relations Journal, vol. 49, no. 4: 7.

Harris, James, (1992) 'Working with environmental groups', Public Relations Journal, May: 24-25.

Harrison, E. Bruce., (1993) Going Green: How to Communicate Your Company's Environmental Commitment, Homewood, IL: Business One Irwin.

Jenkins, Jolyon, (1990) 'WhoÕs the Greenest?', New Statesman & Society, 17 August: 18-20.

Kaplan, Sheila, (1994) 'Lobby-PR giant makes hay from client 'cross-pollination': Porter/Novelli plays all sides', PR Watch, vol. 1, no. 2: 4-7.

Lesly, Philip, (1992) 'Coping with Opposition Groups', Public Relations Review, vol. 18, no. 4: 325-334.

Macken, Deirdre, (1996) 'Full Circle: The Conversion of Paul Gilding', Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June: 51-52.

Rauber, Paul, (1994) 'Beyond Greenwash: An insider's guide to duping the public', Sierra, vol. 79, no. 4: 47-50.

Stauber, John, and Sheldon Rampton, (1995/96) 'Deforming Consent: The public relations industry's secret war on activists', CovertAction Quarterly, vol. , no. 55: 18-25, 57.

...back to top