On Facebook, greenwashed advertisements flourish more than on the radio or in the press

Punished by law, greenwashing continues to be rampant in France, especially on Facebook. These are the conclusions a report from Ademe and the Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority (ARPP), advertising regulatory body in France. In the 12th edition of the “advertising and environment” report carried out jointly by the two organizations, we discover that the social network with 3 billion users broadcasts, even more than the press or the radio, numerous misleading advertisements on the 'environment.

One in 7 advertisements deemed misleading

Out of 1015 environment-related advertisements analyzed (all media combined), Facebook displays the highest percentage of non-compliances to the “sustainable development” recommendations issued by the ARPP. In total 14.3% of advertisements analyzed on the network do not respect the ethical rules in place. “One in seven environmental advertisements on Facebook misled the public about the ecological quality of the product or service promoted“the report is alarmed.

This is significantly higher than the non-compliance rate for advertisements broadcast in the press (7.4%) or on the radio (11.5%). A difference which, according to Mathieu Jahnichan expert in responsible communication mobilized by Ademe, is partly explained by the difference in the level of vigilance in each sector (“outdoor advertising”, for example, is doing better, probably due to historically more supervision anchored) and by the differences in the target audience.

If the figures may seem minimal, the report nevertheless points out that the environment is by far the sector where advertisers and advertising agencies allow themselves the most to deviate from the rules of ethics. The non-compliance rate of these advertisements is in fact “50 to 320 times higher than those of other ARPP thematic reports“, particularly on eating behaviors or respect for people.

Fairphone and Back Market also pinned

A not so anecdotal concern since, as Ademe and the ARPP point out, “It is now recognized that greenwashing hinders the transition to more sustainable lifestyles by preventing the public from making informed choices and distorting competition between businesses“. Not to mention that the 2021 climate law now strictly regulates this practicejust like the future European directive aimed at giving consumers the means to act in favor of the ecological transition.

Moreover, the fight against greenwashing spares no one since “The 65 non-compliant advertisements identified during this study come from companies of varying sizes, sometimes using large consulting agencies, and from various sectors of activity.” notes the report. Evidence from companies like Back Market or Fairphone has also been highlighted.

The first for an advertisement aimed at professionals with a vocabulary that is a little too meliorative and the second for its ad for the Fairphone 5 which uses allegations which “appear excessive, disproportionate and globalizing with regard to the true environmental properties of a phone“Faced with the ARPP's alerts, the two companies promised to “do better next time“or of”redouble your vigilance“.