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17 September 2021 / Caroline Greenwell , Peter Carlyon
Issue: 7948 / Categories: Features , Environment
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Don’t spin the greenwash

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Caroline Greenwell & Peter Carlyon consider the issue of companies exaggerating their green credentials
  • Looks at extent and impact of greenwashing by companies, reputational damage where they’re caught out and potential regulatory action.

Sustainability and environmentalism are featuring at the core of brands’ identities with increasing prevalence. With environmentally conscious consumers demanding greener products, brands have been under more pressure than ever to publicise their environmental credentials. This pressure looks set to increase with research by data analytics company Kantar in September 2020 ‘Who cares? Who does?’ suggesting sustainability has become a bigger concern for consumers since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

All talk no action?

Hand in hand with this consumer pressure, comes a temptation to exaggerate green credentials, to which some brands appear to be bowing. It is not new for bold, current and memorable marketing to be used to attract consumers to particular products and services but when the headlines include net-zero targets and claims of ‘plastic free’ and ‘recycled materials only’, to what

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

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Courts are beginning to grapple with whether AI-generated material is legally privileged—and the answers are mixed. In this week's issue of NLJ, Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej of Burges Salmon examine US rulings showing how easily privilege can be lost
New guidance seeks to bring order to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Minesh Tanna and David Bridge of Simmons & Simmons set out a framework stressing ‘transparency’, ‘explainability’ and ‘reliability’
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