With the ACCC recently publishing its draft guidance to improve the integrity of environmental and sustainability claims made by businesses and protect consumers from ‘greenwashing’, it’s time for businesses to take their commitment to climate change seriously.
The guidance was released off the back of the ACCC’s alarming finding that 57 per cent of businesses it reviewed were making potentially misleading environmental claims.
In releasing the report, the ACCC’s Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said businesses needed to be honest and transparent when making environmental or sustainability claims so consumers are not being misled.
She pointed out that false or misleading claims can undermine consumer trust across the board and put businesses that are taking genuine steps to adopt sustainable practices at a competitive disadvantage.
At ICN, we believe that most businesses are trying to do their best. They clearly understand the need to take climate action to remain competitive in a changing marketplace driven by climate targets. But many are confused about how to start, what to measure, how to ensure their data and calculations are accurate and what steps they should take to reduce. They are also concerned about the cost to the business, especially during an economic downturn.
That’s why ICN has joined forces with ClimateClever, a small, 100% Australian-owned climate-tech company that helps SMEs to get started on their climate journey. Its mission is to drive meaningful and measurable impact on climate change by making climate action affordable and accessible for everyone.
The ClimateClever platform gives small and medium businesses an efficient, cost-effective way to accurately measure their carbon footprint throughout the year. It can also help you identify strategies to reduce, as well as offset, your emissions to become carbon neutral.
Also, if you sign up to ClimateClever through ICN you receive a 10% discount on a paid tier.
Find out how you can start your climate and sustainability journey here.
We also encourage businesses to give the ACCC feedback on the draft guidance.
