Fossil fuel companies rebuked for greenwashing
Four victories for Fossil Ad Ban campaign
The Advertising Regulatory Board in South Africa has delivered four recent judgments against fossil fuel companies for engaging in "greenwashing" – the practice of making unsubstantiated environmental claims to appear more sustainable. These rulings follow a series of complaints filed by Fossil Free South Africa's Fossil Ad Ban (FAB) against TotalEnergies, Shell Oil, and CNG Holdings.
The board found that TotalEnergies' claim about its diesel fuel's lower CO₂ emissions was deceptive, as the result was based on specific test conditions and not representative of real-world performance. Likewise, the board deemed Shell's "sustainable fuels" claims misleading, noting that the company's core business of fossil fuel exploitation contradicted its environmental messaging.
Similarly, CNG Holdings' description of compressed natural gas as a "cleaner, greener fuel option" was found to be misleading, as it failed to disclose the methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. The board's rulings highlight the need for fossil fuel companies to be held accountable for their environmental claims, as the consequences of climate change can be dire.
The United Nations has warned against greenwashing and is working to ensure that all entities, both private and state-owned, take credible steps towards net-zero emissions by 2050. The pushback against fossil fuel companies' advertising has gained momentum, with creative agencies and political parties also taking a stand against their activities.
Written by urgent.news from GroundUp's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
