Compliance is Not Communications

When it comes to greenwashing, you might be mixing up compliance with effective communications.

The Big 4 make sure you tick the regulatory boxes, but are they asking if your message will trigger backlash? When Santos Ltd had Ernst & Young craft their future of gas adverts, they never considered consumers would question anything. That arrogance landed them in Federal Court.

Internally, you’ve got a stellar team that’s been working diligently on compliance. Have they lost the forest for the trees, though? EnergyAustralia had all the right certificates, but they failed to consider whether those were enough to satisfy half a million environmentally conscious customers.

For Mercer, dodgy compliance blended with poor internal comms to land them an $11.3 million fine.

Remember, it’s not the intent that matters with greenwashing. It’s the effect on the audience. Yet so many continue to prioritise compliance and forget about messaging.

That’s why I’ve built my greenwashing practice out differently. I ask what the effect of a message will be, as an unbiased external expert, to make sure you’re being transparent, honest, and effective. Because when the stakes are this high, you need more than just generic advice.

Check out my services, and book in for a consultation today.