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COMMMUNICATING CLIMATE NEUTRALITY

TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION WITH NO GREENWASHING

What exactly does climate neutrality mean? How does a company go about becoming climate-neutral? And why should they adopt climate-neutral procedures? Honest, transparent communication is the be-all and end-all when it comes to climate neutrality. Accusations of greenwashing are almost inevitable if a company fails to communicate their commitment to climate protection with sufficient care or indulges in self-praise without any basis in fact – and rightly so.

But let’s start at the beginning: companies acquire ‘climate-neutral’ status by investing in internationally recognised carbon offset projects to neutralise their unavoidable CO2emissions. The same principle applies to products. When companies or products receive the Fokus Zukunft seal of approval to confirm their climate neutrality, the first step is always to calculate the carbon footprint. This is followed by the initiation of measures to reduce CO2 emissions and the acquisition of high-quality carbon credits to offset unavoidable ones.

By engaging in this process, you demonstrate your serious commitment to sustainable climate protection and can also communicate this transparently. Doing so strengthens your credibility among stakeholders and the wider public.

Let’s approach this topic together. We use a variety of tools to support your communication, including our seal of approval, a certificate and your individual explanatory video. In particular, our seal of approval comes with a QR code that can be easily integrated into your communication. It can guide your stakeholders to a landing page with more information about your ‘climate-neutral’ status. All these measures help you to deliver transparent and comprehensible information about your climate neutrality, eliminating any risk of greenwashing accusations – also thanks to our official Seal Guidelines, which you can reference at all times when using the label.

  • Credible communication on all channels
  • Extensive communication material
  • Practical and proven recommendations

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Simone Allig
Tatjana Rumszauer

OUR MARKETING TEAM IS AT YOUR SERVICE

You can set an example for sustainable climate protection as a climate-neutral company! Fokus Zukunft accompanies you on the path to transparent communication. Benefit from our interdisciplinary expertise and cross-sectoral experience in the area of sustainability communication.

MEET OUR EXPERTS

MEET OUR EXPERTS

GET STARTED WITH YOUR TRANSPARENT GREEN PR

Do you want to communicate climate neutrality in a credible way? Then let’s discuss what needs to be done now! Our team will be happy to tell you more about what needs to be done. Arrange a free consultation now.

    GOOD QUESTION? CLEVER ANSWER!

    We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers on the topic of communicating climate neutrality. Please do not hesitate to contact our experts if you have further questions. To do so, simply fill out our Contact Form.

    All processes in the communication of climate neutrality need to be designed in such a way that stakeholders immediately grasp how ‘climate-neutral’ status is obtained and what it actually means. So it is essential to provide transparent and easily understandable background information on climate neutrality in all communication. Our Communication Guideline contains 15 detailed tips for appropriate communication. You will receive this information together with the communication documents during the process of acquiring climate-neutral status.

    Germany’s competition watchdog, the Wettbewerbszentrale, is currently conducting a series of test cases to clarify the admissibility of the term ‘climate neutral‘ in commercial communication. It is doing so to protect consumers from misleading advertising claims. As things stand, there are no blanket regulations, but initial court rulings have upheld the demands of the Wettbewerbszentrale for greater transparency. In particular, the process by which climate neutrality is obtained must be stated in the immediate proximity of the advertising claim if the ‘climate-neutral’ attribute becomes a criterion that prompts consumers to make a purchase. The Fokus Zukunft seal of approval therefore includes the standard information “Climate neutral via offsetting”. We also recommend communicating the status with the ‘seal of approval + QR code’ option that links to a landing page with additional background information.

    Greenwashing basically means communication that presents something as ‘greener’ than it actually is. In regard to climate neutrality, this refers to the accusation that some companies merely exploit the comparatively simple and inexpensive method of offsetting in order to use the ‘climate-neutral’ label in their advertising and accommodate the growing demand for ‘green products’. Critics opine that this does not constitute any earnest undertaking to reduce the carbon footprint in the long term and that the communication is therefore misleading. So in order to prevent accusations of greenwashing, successful communication of climate neutrality must also include information about planned and implemented reduction measures, in addition to explanation of the offsetting efforts.

     The Fokus Zukunft label, which we issue as a seal of approval and certificate, confirms that unavoidable emissions have been offset in a proper and lawful way. Our processes are based on the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard as the accepted method of obtaining climate neutrality. Our official Seal Guidelines contain detailed information on how the label is issued, including award requirements, validities and use.

     

    We provide a variety of communication packages to help companies in the successful communication of their climate neutrality and in presenting themselves as responsible enterprises. Among other things, the seal of approval can be used to inform stakeholders about the company’s commitment to climate protection in email signatures, on stationery, websites, flyers, roll-ups or product packaging. Our certificate and a wooden trophy can also be impactful eye-catchers in the company foyer. In addition, producing an explanatory video in cooperation with our partner is a nice and modern way to provide information about the company’s path to climate neutrality.