Danone is criticized by the German Environmental Aid for misleading advertising regarding climate protection. © IMAGO/Zoonar.com/Timon Schneider
Greenwashing is a common phenomenon. Deutsche Umwelthilfe is targeting four companies that allegedly pretend to be climate neutral in a "particularly brazen" way.
Hanover/Munich - Advertising is packed with misleading statements and exaggerations. When are the boundaries crossed? The German Environmental Aid is targeting four large companies that allegedly lure the public with "highly misleading" promises in order to suggest an ecological conscience. These are the food company Danone, the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings, the discounter Netto and meal kit distributor HelloFresh.
"An airline that sells CO2-neutral flights to its customers is highly misleading. Mineral water packed in thick-walled plastic and carted through half of Europe to our grocery stores cannot be climate-neutral. Instead of making their products more sustainable, Danone, Eurowings, HelloFresh and Netto are shamelessly deceiving consumers," is the harsh accusation of DUH Managing Director Jürgen Resch.
Danone: "Particularly brazen" advertising? Handling of plastic is also criticized
The DUH, based in Hanover, has filed lawsuits against these four companies on the grounds of consumer deception. They would advertise climate neutrality in a "particularly brazen way". In the case of Danone, which was founded in Barcelona in 1919, the accusation relates to advertising for the mineral water brand Evian. Environmental organizations have been targeting the food company for some time. The enormous consumption of plastic is also denounced.
Greenwashing: Environmental aid criticises "questionable compensation projects"
In doing so, Deutsche Umwelthilfe is also focusing on the principle of CO2 certificates: It is not okay to claim that the climate impact is offset by "questionable compensation projects". "Consumers have a right to experience direct environmental impacts, this is the only way they can choose the right alternative," explains Resch.
The Danone Group, whose headquarters are now in Paris, had sharply increased prices at the beginning of 2023, according to the German Press Agency (dpa). In the first three months of the year, sales of the yoghurt and water supplier (Evian, Volvic) rose by 11.6 percent year-on-year to 6.96 billion euros. According to the environmental protection association, more and more companies are trying to create a positive image with deceptive advertising promises - instead of actually making their products more climate-friendly.
What is greenwashing?
Lots of greenery and imprints such as "100 percent recyclable": Manufacturers often make products look more sustainable than they actually are. "Greenwashing" refers to the attempt by companies and organizations to give themselves a sustainable image through marketing measures, but without actually implementing sustainably oriented activities in the business area - or not to the extent specified.
Danone, Eurowings and Co.: DUH denounces consumer deception
With the lawsuit, the DUH wants to ensure that companies refrain from advertising of this kind in the future. Danone has since taken a stand on the allegations of consumer deception: A company spokesman for Danone told BuzzFeed News Germany that it was "intensively examining all legal details in this context". In principle, the company could not understand the allegations of the German Environmental Aid, according to the report. Sustainability is "a central issue" for Evian, the spokesman said.
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Previously, this week, DUH had called on a further six companies to submit cease-and-desist declarations with a penalty clause and to commit themselves to no longer advertising their products or companies as "climate-neutral" or even "CO2-neutral": first division handball club Füchse Berlin, the delivery service Gorillas, the mobility service provider Intelligent Apps, the coffee companies Luigi Lavazza and UniCaps and the fuel trader Beer Energien.
Meanwhile, there is a fierce dispute over a Bavarian beer from Hesse. Now a court has to decide. (PF)
