Beyond the green façade: “Greenwashing” risks and strategies for authentic sustainability

16 October 2023

Allen & Gledhill Partner Dr Stanley Lai, SC, Senior Associate David Lim, and Associates Linda Shi and Justin Tay contributed an article titled “Beyond the green façade: “Greenwashing” risks and strategies for authentic sustainability” to Bits & Bytes, a monthly online bulletin hosted on the website of the Centre for Technology, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and the Law (TRAIL) at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore.

Advancements in green technology and innovations in recent years have come hand in hand with a growing demand in sustainable products, services and practices. It is not uncommon to see businesses take advantage of this new wave of interest to attract consumers by employing green marketing in various ways, such as the usage of green trademarks and slogans. However, the global increase in demand for sustainable products has been accompanied by growing concerns over deceptive green marketing practices known as “greenwashing”. This refers to the use of false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims to persuade consumers that a company’s products, services or practices are more environmentally friendly than they are in reality. 

The article covers the various ways by which Singapore law presently deals with greenwashing and suggests good practices that businesses may consider adopting in their marketing strategy to avoid any unwanted allegations or potential legal consequences associated with greenwashing.