Developmental
activities which are an integral part of
Corporate World have been in the centre stage of discussion specially in the
context of sustainable development . 4 decades back in Stockholm in 1972 we
started discussing seriously the negative impact of various developmental activities
on the environment. UN conference on the Human Environment or Stockholm
conference that led to creation of UN Environment Program followed by different
initiatives started by different Nations centring around the
conservation of Environment.
It
is very well known fact that there is continuous need of various developmental interventions
many of which are much required for the
very existence of human race. Corporate World has adopted various strategies to
sustain the demand of their products and advertising their products is one of
the most important strategies. It is a fact that consumerism has been greatly influenced
or developed by the advertising action of the business. Its really surprising
to know that the Corporate world has identified the importance of being environment
friendly even before the starting of UN conference on the Human Environment or
Stockholm conference in 1972. Two years before on 22nd April 1970, the first Earth Day was
held on April 22, 1970 where it was decided by many industrialists to advertise themselves as being friendly to
the environment. According to as estimate, Public utilities spent 300 million
dollars advertising themselves as clean and
green companies basically to lure the consumers in the name of eco-friendly
or green product or conservation of nature.
In
the latest WWF Living Planet Report 2012 the
impact of Corporate advertising is quantified stating “Corporate advertising converts our insecurities
into a chain of wants, needs and excessive demands, which have made our
ecological footprint exceed the planet's ability to produce resources and
absorb emissions — by more than 50%” . So in other words the greed of
getting more profit from the businesses of the Corporates is resulting into exhausting
of resources at an alarming rate.
The other aspect of “consumerism –
advertising relation” is the increased trend of green washing by the corporate
world and the enhanced level of awareness in the area of environmental conservation is main factor
for the green washing. With the back ground of consideration for environment
the green washing is now becoming the core agenda of advertising for more and
more corporates.
The problem with the green washing
is that for many of the businesses this environmentalism is not more than a
routine and business slogan and a few of them only are committed and concerned
towards the environment.
The biggest challenge for the Consumer
or Citizen in this context is to identify between companies having genuine concern
and those camouflaging their actions with green levels.
Equally pondering fact related to
green washing is that money being spent on the green washing is 8 to
10 times more than the money earmarked for the conservation or environmental protection/
mitigation measures like pollution
control or related research activities .
Whatsoever may be the dynamics of advertised
induced consumerism and green washing; the ultimate loss is for the planet
earth and its resources.
How can we alienate ourselves from
this nexus or look behind the green façade to know the facts?
What is your opinion?
