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updated 09.10.2024

Introduction

ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder recently published its much-anticipated Climate Action Plan (CAP) that focuses on mobilizing the university’s strengths to advance just and equitable climate solutions that address mitigation, adaptation and resilience. The CAP has an established goal of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by no later than 2050.

We are cognizant of global concerns regarding . The campus has developed these sustainability communication guidelines to mitigate the risk while striving to share credible, accurate and transparent information across its many independent sources of communication.

This document provides guiding principles for ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder communicators creating content about campuswide sustainability actions while ensuring their environmental claims are credible and trusted.

With permission from the Public Relations and Communications Association—Asia Pacific, much of this content has been adapted from that organization’s “PRCA Communications Guidelines on Environmental Sustainability Claims” document to ensure relevance to ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder operations, issues and objectives.

What is greenwashing?

defines greenwashing as “claiming or creating the perception that activities, products and services are more environmentally friendly or sustainable than they actually are.” Greenwashing can be done with ill intent, but it can also be accidental or inadvertent. Inaccurate data, miscalculated projections, misunderstood regulations, overambitious targets, or a lack of transparency are all factors that contribute to inadvertent greenwashing.

Making misleading sustainability claims can have consequences, including difficulty regaining trust, salvaging brand reputation and litigation risks. The best defense against greenwashing lies in good governance, disclosure and due diligence, in conjunction with a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability profile of the product, activity or transaction at hand.

Sustainability communication guidelines

Principle 1: Make accurate and truthful claims

• Avoid any statements or visual treatments likely to mislead audiences in any way about the environmental aspects or advantages of products, or about actions taken. Environmental information must not state or imply factually incorrect claims, nor should they overstate or exaggerate.
• Environmental claims should be meaningful and supported by a genuine associated environmental benefit. Future representations should intend or plan to implement initiatives to meet those representations.

Make it a goal to say YES to these statements:

• Our claims can be backed up by reliable and credible third-party data or research conducted at ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder.
• Substantiations are easily available, searchable and understandable.
• We have accurately reflected what third-party certifications (e.g. STARS, LEED, etc.) stand for and their scopes.

Principle 2: Use specific terminology

• General environmental claims should either be qualified or avoided. Claims such as “environmentally friendly,” “ecologically safe,” “green,” “sustainable,” “carbon friendly”, “science-based” or any other claim implying that a product or an activity has no impact or only a positive impact, should come with a high standard of proof. These terms are meaningless unless there is more specific information.
• Environmental claims must be specific. Look for specific amounts (recycled content, a certain percentage less packaging, etc.).

Make it a goal to say YES to these statements:

• We have not used overly broad, vague terms like “green” and “eco-friendly” without providing specific data, proof or context.
• Technical language or terms are backed by reliable scientific evidence.
• We have contextualized and substantiated terms such as “recyclable” and “biodegradable/bio-based” regarding the life cycle strategies of products. 
• The communication of carbon-neutral claims is substantiated with clear
  communications on the methodology and accounting metrics used.

Principle 3: Demonstrate incremental impact

• Environmental claims should be up-to-date and should, where appropriate, be reassessed with regard to relevant developments. Only claim sustainability if a definitive, generally accepted method for measuring a process or product exists and this claim can be substantiated.
• Communicate real impact with data. Visible programs like electric cars and buses garner media attention and they account for significant progress toward GHG goals. Sharing specific data about their positive impacts can build support for future efforts.
• Any comparative claim should be specific and the basis for the comparison should be clear.
• ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder should only use superlatives such as “best,” “strongest,” etc, if the claim can be substantiated and demonstrated. Rankings should always be attributed to a reputable source.
• Information on progress should be made publicly available. Report qualitative and quantitative progress against targets annually, using relevant public reporting platforms such as a campuswide sustainability dashboard.

Make it a goal to say YES to these statements:

• Our claim is specific and the basis of comparison is clear. 
• Our claim is not based on the absence of a component, ingredient, feature or impact that has never been associated with the category concerned. 
• We have not presented generic features as unique or remarkable characteristics.
• We have claimed a competitive edge over another institution only because we can demonstrate a significant advantage. 
• Publicly available data has been updated in the past year and there are processes and resources for updating it annually. 
• We present data and details for our future strategies and include metrics for all goals as part of our strategic plans.

Principle 4: Communicate transparently

• Craft communication campaigns, materials or information that balance potentially positive as well as potentially negative environmental aspects of a program. This is especially important if a claim relates only to a relatively minor aspect of an activity. Cherry-picking information or spotlighting a certain element of a sustainability initiative misleads audiences to think that the campus is greener than it is.
• It is important to consider the “full lifecycle” of sustainability initiatives like the CAP so that environmental claims don’t fail to consider or reflect their overall environmental impact. While we encourage sharing progress about genuine steps to improve our environmental performance, environmental claims that are unrealistic, overly ambitious and unsubstantiated, may draw criticism and damage the university’s reputation.
• Provide enough information about what is required for claims to be valid. False environmental claims may include claims that initiatives have a particular environmental benefit when this is only true in specific contexts or locations.

Make it a goal to say YES to these statements:

• Our climate data is public on our website.
• We have worked with stakeholders to advocate for a balanced and transparent approach to communication around sustainability claims or progress, which will better protect our reputation in the long run.
• We have included links (where possible) to more information about broader sustainability efforts and progress in similar areas.
• We have not deliberately obscured key, relevant details, nor hidden any key information.
• We have not used any “small print” through the use of disclaimers or clarifications to protect ourselves against otherwise misleading environmental claims.
• Our claims do not have a heavy emphasis on one small green attribute without mention of how the rest of the initiative works. 
• If energy use or carbon emissions have risen in a given year, we communicate why this happened (i.e., we don’t avoid publishing data for those years).

Principle 5: Use clear and easy-to-understand language

• Clarity is paramount. Avoid jargon and ensure content is easily understood by a broad audience, including those not familiar with sustainability-related terms. 
• Using undefined scientific or technical terms or terms that have more than one meaning may be misleading which can constitute greenwashing.

Make it a goal to say YES to these statements:

• A general audience can easily understand the content of our communications.
• Our documents use language similar to that of publicly available/peer-vetted sources.
• We have a clear, plain English definition of terms (e.g. explaining Scope 1 vs. 2 vs. 3). 
• We explain/visualize data such as carbon emissions in percentages and equivalencies that the average person can understand.

Principle 6: Visual elements should provide an accurate impression

• Practice caution when using symbols and third-party labels and certifications which could be misleading. If using a symbol or third-party label, ensure they are used appropriately and that the claim can be substantiated with data. If the university no longer meets the certification criteria, continued use is misleading.
• Keep it simple; if complicated infographics and data visualizations aren’t possible or can’t be maintained, focus on transparency and accuracy. Resources to make visualizations include Canva and Airtable. Don’t underestimate the value of a linked Google spreadsheet.

Make it a goal to say YES to these statements:

• Imagery, symbols and third-party labels are verified, justifiable and used accurately. 
• Our visual elements are easy to understand.
• We have provided specific data to substantiate the visualizations.